Book 1 After The Fire
by Syd and Z
Summary: {{COMPLETE}}When three new girls appear in the lives of the Thunder, Wind and Samurai Rangers, trouble and chaos insues...
1. near death experiences,& returned gloves

Josephina Sanchez drove down the streets of Blue Bay Harbor in her black SUV. She was listening to her radio, singing along and tapping the steering wheel to the music. She was somewhat distracted; she didn't notice two guys walking across the street. She saw them and quickly slammed on the brakes, screeching to a halt.  
  
Blake and Hunter stopped quickly as the black car screeched to a halt, almost hitting them. They looked at the car and saw a dark-ish skin girl behind the wheel. She looked at them, a scowl on her face. She got out of her car. Hunter looked at his brother, who had been closer to the car. "You ok, bro?" He asked. Blake nodded. The girl came up to them.  
  
"Perhaps you should learn to walk before attempting to cross a street." She sneered. Hunter looked at her.  
  
"Hey," he said. "You almost ran into us. Ever heard of a red light?" He snapped.  
  
"Yeah, we had the light." Blake replied. The girl glared at them.  
  
"Whatever." She said lowly, stalking back to her car and getting back in. She saw them still standing there. She poked her head out the window. "Well are you going to move, or should I just run over you?" She barked. The guys stepped away. The girl roared away. Blake looked at Hunter.  
  
"What's up with her?" Hunter shrugged.  
  
"PMS?" Hunter suggested.  
  
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Dustin loaded his bike into the back of the Storm Chargers van. He got ready to drive off when someone tapped his shoulder. He turned around to see a short Hawaiian girl with short brown hair wearing glasses and wearing an orange top and jeans. She held out something to him, a riding glove.  
  
"Uh, I think you dropped this over there." She said softly. Dustin looked back at his stuff and realized one of his gloves had been missing. He sighed at his forgetfulness and turned back to the girl. He took it from her.  
  
"Uh, thanks." He said. The girl smiled politely.  
  
"You looked good out there." She said.  
  
"Thanks. You ride?" He asked. The girl shook her head.  
  
"No.....Don't know much about it, but, hey you didn't fall off your bike and your velocity seemed pretty good, so, that's impressive." The girl said, giving a sideways smile. Dustin chuckled.  
  
"Yeah, that's basically all there is to it, staying on the bike, and speed." He said. "I'm Dustin Brooks by the way." He said, extending his hand to her. The girl took it.  
  
"Larissa Lekika." She said. "I was just by the rock quarry and I saw you drop your glove, so I thought I'd give it to you."  
  
"The rock quarry?" Dustin asked. "What's over there?" He asked.  
  
"Rocks." The girl laughed. "I sometimes like to look at geological rock formations. Its kind of fun."  
  
"Uh, right." Dustin said. "I'll take your word for that." He said. He smiled. "So, you live around here?" He asked.  
  
"Me and my two friends just moved here from Glassington." She said. Dustin knew Glassington; it was a small town not too far from Blue Bay Harbor.  
  
"Oh, cool." Dustin said. "So, what are you guys doing here anyway?" He asked. Larissa shrugged.  
  
"Just needed a change of scenery, I guess." She said with a smile. Dustin grinned.  
  
"Well, if it's scenery you want, you've come to the perfect place. We've got parks, woods, everything." He said, boasting about the town. Larissa laughed.  
  
"Wonderful." She said. Dustin checked his watch.  
  
"Oh, wow, I've got to go." He said. He looked back at Larissa. "It was nice meeting you." He said.  
  
"Same here." She responded.  
  
"You should come by where I work some time, meet some folks, you know? It's a store called Storm Chargers." Dustin said.  
  
"Is that the place where all the extreme sports paraphernalia is? My friend, Summer past by it earlier today. She's more of the extreme sports enthusiast, not me." Larissa smiled.  
  
"Well, bring your friends too. I'd love to meet them." Dustin said.  
  
"Didn't know this town had a welcoming committee." Came a sarcastic voice. Dustin turned to see a dark skinned Hispanic girl with long black hair. Larissa rolled her eyes.  
  
"Don't mind her, she's got social problems." Larissa said. "Dustin, this is my friend, Josephine. Josephine, this is Dustin. We just met." Dustin stuck his hand to Josephine.  
  
"Nice to meet you, Josephine." He said.  
  
"Call me Joey." She said. "What kind of name is Dustin anyway?" She asked. Larissa shot her a look. Dustin blinked. Larissa wasn't kidding, this girl didn't just have social problems, she was down right rude. Joey looked at Larissa. "I thought I told you I'd pick you up at the quarry." She said.  
  
"Yeah." Larissa replied.  
  
"Well, I was at the quarry, and you weren't there." Joey said, crossing her arms. Larissa sighed.  
  
"Sorry, why don't you just put a low jack on me?" Larissa countered. Dustin stood back, not wanting to get in the middle of this. The two were friends, but Joey seemed to be treating Larissa like a little sister. And apparently, Larissa didn't like that.  
  
"Whatever, let's go." Joey said. She went over to Larissa and took her arm. Larissa shot Dustin an apologetic look as the two girls left.  
  
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Tori paddled out into the ocean her stomach pressed flat against her surfboard. Reaching the perfect spot to see the waves, Tori pushed herself into a sitting position and let her legs dangle over the sides, into the water. In the distance, Tori could see a girl wakeboarding, which was similar to surfing, but a little different. It started out by a person being pulled along at a high speed by a boat, and once they had enough momentum, they were sent into the waves to surf back to shore. Tori had tried it a couple times and didn't like it as much as surfing. Shrugging her shoulders Tori turned her board around and lay on her stomach again and paddled hard to catch the wave that was coming in. She didn't see the same girl she'd seen two minutes earlier coming over the rise of the wave and beginning to drop down into the coil of the wave. Tori lifted herself into standing position and let her board slide into the coil, towards the other girl.  
  
"Watch out!" The girl cried. Tori couldn't go anywhere, and she watched in slow motion, as the wake boarder, at the last minute, rocketed past Tori, and into the water, underneath the coil, head first. Her board that had become detached from her feet cracked and broke in two and got swept a lot with the waves. Tori managed to get out of the wave and began searching frantically for the missing girl. The girl got pushed along with the crashing waves and when she tried to surface again, she got rolled even more. She was finally able to reach the surface, and took in a much need breath of air. She began treading water and searching for the girl she had almost hit. Her red-blond hair was literally plastered to her face, and she had a few bruises forming from where she had hit the water. Finally she saw Tori and waved her arms. "Hey! Over here!" She called. Tori paddled over and grabbed the girl's hands and helped her onto the back of the board.  
  
"Oh my gosh. Are you ok?" Tori asked. The girl nodded.  
  
"Ya, just a little worked. I'm really sorry, I didn't even see you. Summer Jones." The girl said thrusting her hand out. Tori smiled.  
  
"Victoria Hanson, but everyone calls me Tori. And you have nothing to be sorry about. I should have waited to see if anyone else wanted that wave." Tori chuckled. Summer grinned. "So you from around here?" Tori asked as they navigated their way back to the shore.  
  
"Uh kinda I guess. I moved here with two friends from Glassington. Before that I lived in New York, with my family." Summer replied, casting her eyes downward.  
  
"Your parents let you move to Glassington all alone?" Tori asked. Summer smiled sadly.  
  
"My parents died in New York, so they really didn't have a say in where I moved." She said quietly.  
  
"Oh.my...Summer I'm so sorry. I had no idea." Tori told her. "Hey it's ok. You had no idea. Heck you just met me." Summer giggled. They smiled and swam back into shore. When they got there, the two girls walked up the sand.  
  
"You OK?" Asked a Hawaiian girl as she and a Hispanic girl walked over.  
  
"Oh yeah, totally. I meant to wipe out." Summer grinned. She looked at Tori. "Tori, these are my buds, Joey and Larissa. Guys, this is Tori." She said, introducing them all.  
  
"Nice to meet you." Larissa said, giving a friendly smile. Joey just stood there.  
  
"Yeah, same here." Tori said. "You guys just move here too?" She asked Joey and Larissa.  
  
"We're roommates." Larissa said.  
  
"Oh." Tori wondered about their parents, but afraid that they were dead, like Summer's, decided to keep her mouth shut.  
  
"Right. Well, we've got to go, lots of unpacking, lots of grocery shopping, and all that to do." Joey said. She turned to walk to the parking lot of the beach. Larissa sighed and followed. Summer looked at Tori.  
  
"Joey's got control issues." She said. Tori smiled. "Hey, why don't you give me your number? I'll call you once we get our phone hooked up. Maybe we can meet up and do some more surf and wake boarding. Only next time, no crashes." Summer smiled. Tori laughed.  
  
"Sounds good." She said. Summer and Tori walked over to where Summer had left her beach bag. She reached in and grabbed a small notepad and pen, handing it to Tori. Tori scribbled in her number and gave it back to her.  
  
"Summer!" Came Joey's voice from the parking lot. Summer sighed. She bent down and picked up her things.  
  
"Got to go." She said. Tori nodded. She waved to Summer as she walked over to Joey and Larissa. 


	2. Our House, is a very very very fine hous...

The After Series. Book 1: After the Fire, by Teal-Becky102285 A/N: Hey everyone, as you might have guessed, Becky wrote the first chapter, and might I say what an excellent chapter it was! LOL. Anyways, this is Teal, who's obviously going to be writing the even numbered chapters. I was originally supposed to write the odd numbered ones, but because of computer issues, it didn't happen. But that's ok.  
  
Disclaimer: We do not, I repeat we do not own Power Rangers Ninja Storm. They are the property of Toei, BVS Entertainment, and Village Roadshows. And who ever else has a say in what goes on there. The only people we own are the created characters, Summer belongs to me (Teal), Joey belongs to Becky and Larissa belongs to both of us. Please don't use them without our permission, or else!  
  
Chapter Two: Our house is a very very very fine house.  
  
Joey, Larissa, and Summer all drove to their new home at the edge of town. It was a normal sized three-bedroom house that seemed like it was in extreme need of repair. But the girls couldn't afford incredible housing, so, as long as it had lockable doors and a place to sleep, they were happy.  
  
"You know," Joey said. "We'd have more money if someone sold their stupid car." She said, looking at Summer. Summer looked at her and nodded. "You're right. I never liked that SUV anyway." Summer smirked. Joey looked at her. "I don't understand why we need two cars anyway." Joey said. Larissa looked at the two.  
  
"Because that way it's not like we need to depend on just one person to get places." Larissa said. "Let's not worry about money, and just get settled in, ok?" She suggested. "Lar's right." Summer said. Joey sighed. "Right, sorry." Joey apologized to Summer. Summer smiled. "Hey, no harm, no fowl." She said. The girls began unpacking their boxes in the rooms they had claimed the night before when they arrived.  
  
Summer tore open the first box, not remember what she had packed in it when she had left Glassington. Right on the very top of the pile, was a picture of her and her mom and dad from when she lived in New York. It had been taken 2 months previous to her mother's death. Smiling sadly, Summer placed the photo on her nightstand and ran her thumb over the glass encasement. Pushing herself onto her feet she went back over to the box and took out her lamp, and some small figurines that had been placed in that box and set them in random places around her room. She wandered out into the hallway and grabbed her mattress for her bed and dragged it into her room. She didn't have the posts and such set up yet, and her box spring was downstairs somewhere, and she didn't feel like retrieving it just yet. She dropped the mattress onto the floor where she thought she would put her bed in the morning. Summer retrieved her white and pink duffle bag, grabbed her pajama's and changed into them. And without another though dropped down onto her mattress, fast asleep.  
  
Joey set up her bed. She really didn't want to do it right then, but, as her mother would always say "Algo que se puede ser hoy, no espera para otro dia." (Something that can be done today doesn't wait for another day.) So, she set up her bed, put her black sheets and pillowcases on. She went downstairs to grab her boxes and saw a box labeled "Joey's supplies." She didn't touch it at the moment, for it was her art supplies, which would be going into the basement/soon to be art studio of the house. She then saw a box that read "Other". Joey looked down for a bit. The box was filled with things belonging to her mother. She knew she'd never see her mother again, but she just couldn't wrap her mind around it. Joey decided to put the box down in the basement with her art supplies later. She picked up a box labeled "Jo's clothes" and carried it to her room.  
  
Larissa tried putting her bed together, but was having problems with the posts. She sighed and decided to give up and ask Joey or Summer to help her tomorrow. Right now she just wanted to get some of her other things set up. Namely, her computer. She wanted to input the data she had collected at the Rock Quarry that afternoon, when she had met Dustin. Nice boy, not her type and he seemed to be interested in someone else. Which was fine with her. She wasn't ready for a relationship with anyone just yet. Her studies and work came before that, and when the would come, she'd accept whomever it was that crossed her path.  
  
Besides, if and when she decided to venture into relationship, she'd prefer to go there with someone she'd have some things in common with. Dustin didn't strike her as someone who knew the difference between a megabyte and a gigabyte, so that was a no for him. The girl they had all met at the beach, Tori, seemed really nice too. Very friendly and welcoming. She was glad Tori had been able to find Summer when she wiped out. When she and Joey saw her go under, Larissa's heart filled with fear. She was afraid she'd loose Summer, someone who had become like a sister to her in the few years she'd known her. Shoving the last of the plugs into the back of her computer, Larissa climbed onto her computer chair and sat in lotus position and logged on and began inputting the data for her research.  
  
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The next day, the three friends sat in their new kitchen eating breakfast. Larissa told Summer about meeting Dustin and how he worked at the extreme sports store. Summer smiled. "Hey, I need to go there today anyway. Need a new board." Summer said, laughing a bit. "Maybe I can get a discount if I bring you along, eh?" She joked, ruffling Larissa's hair. Larissa smiled and ducked away from Summer. Summer and Joey where older then Larissa, not by much, but older nonetheless. So, they treated her like a little sister. It didn't help her that she was the shortest of the three. "Doubtful, but I wouldn't mind coming along." Larissa said. Summer laughed. She looked at Joey. "How about you?" She asked her friend. Joey sighed. "Maybe we should wait before spending money, until at least one of us has a job, you know?" Joey said, her tone a tad condescending. Summer and Larissa could've gotten offended, but they knew this was Joey being Joey. She was the oldest; therefore she was the "mommy" of the group. She was the boss.  
  
"Yes mom." Summer began. "I'd still like to get another wakeboard, especially if I going to enter the competition's soon. I really need to practice, and since my board got smashed to smithereens yesterday, I kinda need a new one to practice with. And I promise that after I go to Storm Chargers did you say it was Larissa?" Larissa nodded. "Then I'll go drop off a few resumes at places. OK?" Summer finished. Joey gave an exasperated sigh and nodded her head. "But don't be lolly gagging around all day not doing anything productive." Joey scolded. Larissa giggled and Summer grinned stupidly. "Aye aye Captain!" Summer saluted. Joey vaulted herself across the table, but wasn't quick enough to catch Summer, who had already bolted out the kitchen door towards the front door where her keys, and shoes were. Halfway there, Summer smashed her foot into a box, and flew across the hallway. "Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" She called before she landed face first; butt in the air on the hard linoleum floor. Cackling like a mad woman, Larissa and Joey dashed into the front hallway and watched Summer attempt to push herself up onto her feet.  
  
Larissa burst out laughing. Joey chuckled and shook her head. "Wow, you're graceful." She went over and helped Summer up. "I meant to do that!" Summer insisted. "What did I trip over?" She asked as her laughter subsided. Larissa looked over and saw the offending box. "This one." She said, walking to a box that was labeled "other." Larissa looked at it questionably. "What's in here?" She asked. She went to open it. "Uh, it's noth-" Joey began. Larissa opened the box and looked in to see some of Joey's mother's belongings. She looked up at her friend. Joey looked away.  
  
"Joe-" Larissa began, but she was cut off by the evil glare from Joey, who slammed the flaps of the box shut and stormed upstairs to her room. Summer looked quizzically at Larissa then went to follow Joey, but was stopped by Larissa's hand catching her arm. "Don't go up there Summ. Come-on let's get going." Larissa shoved her shoes on her feet, as did Summer, who also grabbed her car keys, and purse and headed outside to her car. Once both girls had climbed inside Summer turned to Larissa and said "Lar, what was in that was in that box?" She asked. Larissa sighed and looked at her. "Some of her mom's things." She said. Summer looked at her briefly, and then turned her eyes back to the road. "Aw man." Summer sighed. "Has she talked to you about how she feels?" She asked. "No. Why would she tell me anything she hasn't told you?" Larissa asked. Summer shrugged. "You two grew up together, I've just known you for a few years. I just thought she'd be more open with you. And, besides, you guys are both in the same boat with this kind of thing." "Well, a, she hasn't. B, you are just as close to Joey as I am. We're all a family, no one's less or more important, got it?" She asked. Summer smiled. "Yes ma'am." She said. "And lastly, Joey doesn't seem to care if everyone is in the same boat, she won't talk about it. We both know that." Larissa said.  
  
A/N: Ok so that's my chapter finished, I really hope everyone enjoyed it. You see that small purplish button down at the bottom of the screen? Yes that one. It says, "go" on it. Yes, go review our story. And if there's a lot of reviews, you know what that means. Yupp, a faster update. Next chapter belongs to Becky. Good luck and Ja ne.  
  
* Falls asleep* 


	3. Small world

Hey gang. It's Becky again. Here with chapter 3, well, since Teal took care of the disclaimer, I thought I'd do a lil description of our new characters so you guys know them a bit:  
  
Josephina Sanchez-AKA Josephine, Josie, Joey, Jo. Age: 18 Height: 5'3" Hair: Long black hair. Eyes: Brown Personality: Very sarcastic and kind of mean sometimes. Is very protective of Larissa and Summer. Hobbies: Loves art, and martial arts. Mode of transportation: Black SUV  
  
Summer Jones Age: 17 Height: 5'2" Hair: Blonde Personality: Friendly, but can be a bit of a bitch if she's really ticked off. Hobbies: Wake boarding Mode of transportation: White Porsche with pink interior  
  
Larissa Lekika-AKA Rissa, Lar, Rissi Age: 16 Height: 5'1" Hair: Short brown hair. Personality: Friendly, can be a little shy sometimes. Hobbies: Is into math and science. Mode of transportation: her bike, or Joey and Summer's cars.  
  
OK, so now you have an idea of our characters, on with the story.  
  
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Summer pulled up in front of the store. She parked her car and got out. Larissa followed. They walked into the store. Summer saw the wake boarding section and headed straight for it. Larissa just stood by looking around.  
  
"Larissa!" Came a voice. Larissa turned around to see Dustin standing with two other guys at a cash register. Larissa smiled and went over to him.  
  
"Hi." She said.  
  
"Hey." He said.  
  
"I'm glad you decided to come." Dustin said. Larissa smiled.  
  
"It wasn't so much my idea. I had mentioned it to Summer yesterday and she drove us here, she needs a new board." She replied.  
  
"Uh..Your other friend, the scary one, didn't come too, right?" Dustin asked. Larissa laughed.  
  
"Nah, Joey stayed home." Larissa said. One of the guys standing by Dustin nudged him. Dustin looked at him blankly and then caught on.  
  
"Ah, right.Uh, Larissa, these are my friends, Hunter and Blake. They also work here." He said. Larissa looked at them and smiled.  
  
"Nice to meet you." Larissa said.  
  
"Same here." Blake said. Suddenly a girl with blonde hair came over and took Larissa's arm.  
  
"Hey Larissa, look at this cool board....hi!" Summer said, smiling at the guys. "Summer Jones, one of Larissa's best buds." Larissa laughed a bit.  
  
"Summer, this is the guy I told you about, Dustin, and his friends Blake and Hunter." Larissa said. Hunter hadn't heard Larissa say his name, because he was too busy staring at the blonde beauty that had appeared before him. His mouth felt dryer then cotton. His heart quickened. Summer looked at him and gave a soft friendly smile.  
  
"Hi." Summer said quietly. Hunter continued to stare. "Um Dustin? Does he have an issue?" Summer asked. Everyone burst out laughing. Hunter blinked. He felt like a total idiot and quickly excused himself, muttering something about restocking shelves.  
  
"What was that all about?" Larissa asked.  
  
"Dunno." Blake said, slightly concerned about his older brother. Blake looked at Summer. "So, you surf?" He asked. Summer shook her head.  
  
"No, wake board." She said. The two guys looked at her.  
  
"Oh." Dustin said. Summer laughed.  
  
"And by your blank stares, I can see you don't know much about it, huh?" She asked.  
  
"Whenever a customer comes in and asks about it, they stare at them blankly." Came a voice as a redheaded girl came over. "Hi, I'm Kelly, I own the place." She smiled. Summer smiled.  
  
"Summer, and this is my friend Larissa." She said. Larissa smiled at Kelly. She stopped as an idea struck her.  
  
"So, basically you need some one who knows about wake boarding, right?" She asked. Kelly thought for a second.  
  
"Well, yeah. I guess it's not totally right if I'm selling this stuff to people and can't tell them much about it, right?" Kelly said. "Why do you ask?"  
  
"Well, Summer needs a job." Larissa said. Summer's head snapped back and she stared at her friend.  
  
"What?" She asked, surprised. "Excuse me for a sec." Summer said to Dustin, Blake and Kelly. She pulled Larissa aside. "This isn't exactly a very normal way of pursuing a job." She said.  
  
"Well, opportunity's a knocking, so you better open the door." Larissa said. "Besides, you told Joey you'd look for a job after you got a new board, well, now you're killing two birds with one stone."  
  
"OK, new question, why aren't you getting a job?" Summer asked, crossing her arms. Larissa grinned.  
  
"Because I'm not the one Joey's nagging to sell her car." Larissa said. She walked back over to the others. Summer glared slightly at her younger friend.  
  
"Why me." The blond muttered. She wandered back over to where everyone else was standing. Kelly looked at her.  
  
"If you are looking for a job, I'd be happy to give you one." She said. "Your promoter here is right, I need a wake board expert. I've got three residential motocross experts and surf and skateboard experts who come by so often they might as well work here. So, what do you say?" She asked. Summer smiled.  
  
"Sure, sounds good." She said. Kelly smiled.  
  
"Great. Be here tomorrow around one, ok?" She said. Summer nodded. "Welcome to the Storm Chargers team." Kelly smiled as she walked away. Summer grinned and looked at Dustin and Blake.  
  
"So, does that mean I get an employee discount?" She asked.  
  
"Don't count on i." Blake began to say, his voice trailed off as the door of the store opened, signaling the arrival of a new customer. Blake suddenly got a somewhat lovesick look in his eyes. Summer's brows furrowed in confusion. She turned to see who had come in, and saw Tori. Tori caught sight of Blake, Dustin, Larissa and Summer. She smiled and walked over.  
  
"Hey." Tori said. "Didn't expect to see you again so soon." Tori smiled to Summer and Larissa.  
  
"You guys know each other?" Dustin asked.  
  
"We ran into each other at the beach yesterday." Summer said.  
  
"Ran into each other, literally." Larissa joked.  
  
"Whoa, small world." Dustin commented. "I met Larissa yesterday, and their less then friendly buddy."  
  
"Oh yeah, Joey, met her too." Tori said.  
  
"Man, what a coincidence you guys meet Dustin and Tori, and we're all friends." Blake said.  
  
"Must be fate." Larissa said.  
  
"Now, if you guys knew this girl who almost ran me and Hunter over, that would just be scary." Blake laughed. Summer and Larissa looked at each other.  
  
"Uh...Was the girl Hispanic looking, with dark hair, driving a black SUV?" Summer asked.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"And did she say some comment along the lines of 'learn to walk before you cross the street'?" Larissa asked.  
  
"Yeah..How'd you know?" Blake asked.  
  
"Huh, how interesting." Summer mused. "Joey drives a black SUV, and that's basically her line to poor unsuspecting pedestrians." Blake's eyebrow's shot up.  
  
"Ok, now that's just frightening." Blake said. They all laughed.  
  
"Totally." Dustin said. "Very Twilight Zone like."  
  
"Ya Joey drives like a mad women. If she would ever hit someone, she'd probably keep going." Summer said.  
  
"And she wonders why I'd rather ride with Summer." Larissa smirked.  
  
"But that's not saying much, since I drive about as bad as Joey does. But if I'd hit someone, at least I'd stop." Summer joked. "So, no one can ever accuse me of hit and run driving." She smirked.  
  
"Speaking of Joey, we better head back, remember she said, straight here, straight back." Larissa said.  
  
"And since when have you ever known me to follow her orders?" Summer asked with a smirk. Larissa shook her head.  
  
"Good point, but do you really want to incur the wrath of Joey after she's been left to unpack the rest of the house things on her own?" Larissa asked.  
  
"Hmmm....That's exactly why, I'm going to drop you off at home, and I'm gonna go wake-boarding." Summer smiled.  
  
"Excuse me? Oh no you don't. You are not leaving me to handle her if she goes on one of her tirades." Larissa said.  
  
"Watch me." Summer grinned. Larissa sighed.  
  
"You live dangerously...And I'm very very brain damaged..So therefore, I'm going to the beach with you." Larissa said.  
  
"Welcome to the dark side." Summer laughed. "Let me just go pay for that sweet board, and we're out of here." She looked at Tori. "Care to join us?" She asked.  
  
"Sure." Tori said. "As long as you promise not to try and kill yourself again." Tori joked. Hunter, who had been nearby heard this and swung around.  
  
"What happened?" He asked in a very concerned tone. Summer looked at him.  
  
"We kind of crashed into one another. No big." She said. Hunter walked over.  
  
"Were you hurt?" He asked Summer.  
  
"Uh...No..." She said, a little weirded out by his concern.  
  
"I wasn't either, in case you were wondering." Tori said. Hunter didn't seem to hear her.  
  
"Are you sure?" Hunter asked. He didn't know why, but he had this weird feeling around her. He felt the severe need to protect and help her, and be worried about her.  
  
"Yes, I'm fine." Summer said. She laughed and turned to the others. "He always like this?" She asked.  
  
"No." Dustin said.  
  
"Not really." Blake said. He looked at his brother. He could sense Hunter was feeling a weird vibe from Summer, partly because he felt it too. It was as if he knew Summer, like they had met before. He simply shrugged it off. Summer looked at Hunter. She also felt a strange sense of familiarity from Hunter and Blake, Hunter especially. She had no idea what it meant, and simply ignored it for now.  
  
"I better go pay for that board." She said as she stepped away from Hunter and picked up the board she had been eyeing. She walked over to the cash register where Kelly was and paid for it. Larissa had picked up on Summer's odd behavior, and made note to ask Summer about it later. 


	4. The Wrath of Joey Sanchez

After the Fire Chapter 4, by Teal-Becky102285  
  
A/N: Hey everyone, hope you enjoyed chapter 3. Becky, as usual did a great job. But ya I'm not going to ramble anymore.  
  
Joey: I hope not! Get to the story!  
  
Teal: eep!  
  
Here's the newest chapter, enjoy.  
  
Chapter 4: The Wrath of Joey Sanchez.  
  
Shane trekked through the woods. The woods that held so much value to him. It was here he met Skyla as a young child. It was here that he met her again just weeks ago...And it was here that she died. He had been thinking about her a lot. Missing her. He had only spent a few hours with her before she died, but it still left an impact on him. Shane reached the clearing where he met Skyla. He saw the brick stove. He went to walk to it and froze as he saw someone sitting against the tree that once had the spider web Skyla had been caught in. The person had their back to him. She had long dark curly hair. Her skin was a Carmel color. Shane's breath caught in his throat. Was it......? Could it be........? "Skyla?" He said softly. The girl turned and looked at him. Shane's heart sank as he saw it wasn't who he thought it was.  
  
"Huh?" The girl said. "Oh I'm sorry I though you were someone else." Shane said. The girl still looked at him questioningly. "You always spend your days going through woods and calling out random names?" She asked sarcastically. Shane looked at her puzzled. "Do you always snap sarcastically at random people? Or is today my lucky day?" He growled. "No I'm always like this. But today just might be your lucky day for an ass kicking if you don't leave me the hell alone" The girl snarled. "I'm just walking, god, what crawled up your ass?" Shane asked. He had wanted to sit by the brick stove, remembering Skyla, but apparently this pit bull wasn't going to let that happen. "Excuse me? I will not be talked to like that." She replied, as she pushed herself up onto her feet. This boy was going down, hard. And it wouldn't be pretty.  
  
Shane looked at the girl as she stood up. She couldn't be more then 5 foot three inches, which had her coming up to just his shoulder. Shane looked at her, he couldn't help smirk. She was pretty. Maybe if she weren't such a cold bitch she'd be cute. "Oh, and what are you going to do?" He asked. "What is it with this town and annoying males?" The girl muttered. She quickly put her weight on one leg as she brought the other leg up to deliver a roundhouse kick to him. Shane ducked and caught her foot. "What the hell do you think your doing jerk?" She snarled, trying to dislodge her foot from his grasp. "I'm teaching you not to play rough. Little girls should be playing with Barbie dolls and teddy bears." He replied. Next thing poor Shane knew, the girl had used her other foot to deliver a very painful blow, below the belt. Shane immedality dropped her foot, causing her to fall over, and he fell to the ground in pain. "You little bitch." He snapped. "What the hell did you do that for!"? "Tsk tsk tsk." The girl said. "Little boys shouldn't use such language." She smirked. Shane glared at her and pushed himself back to his feet. "I usually don't hit girls, but, for you, I'll make an exception." He said as he tried to throw a punch at her. The girl easily stepped out of his way. "Is that the best you can do?" She asked. "Hey look over there!" Shane cried. When the girl looked over her shoulder, Shane delivered a kick to her stomach, sending her reeling backwards doubled over in pain. "God that's gonna hurt tomorrow." She said.  
  
Shane suddenly felt a wave of guilt as he saw the girl doubled over in pain. He went over to her. "Oh, man, I'm sorry. Are you OK?" He asked. He went to help her up. The girl stood straight and punched him in the face. Shane fell on his back. The girl chuckled. "How is it that guys always fall for the damsel in distress bit even if the damsel's kicking his ass?" The girl mused. Shane groaned and jumped to his feet. "You have severe mental problems, lady!" He said. "Me? Mental? Those two words don't belong in the same sentence boyo! You're going to regret it." She replied as she walked closer to him. "Bring it on...bitch." Shane called. The girl went wide-eyed. "What did you call me?" She asked.  
  
"I must've hit you harder then I thought, you've gone deaf." Shane smirked. "I called you a bitch. B.I.T-oomph!" Shane grunted as the girl had delivered a snap kicked to his gut. The girl was mental, Shane knew that, but man, was she fast.... And a good fighter. "What was that?" The girl asked innocently. "You're so going down." Shane said, before his communicator rudely interrupted him. He looked down at it, and as he looked back up, he saw the girls fist slam right into his eye, causing him to fall down, hard. "Go to hell. This isn't over yet." Shane said, slowly pushing himself up, and limping away. "You right it's not over yet. Next time, you'll wind up in a full body cast next time buddy!" The girl screamed after him.  
  
Shane sighed, his hand against his hurt eye as he left.  
  
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Tori, Larissa and Summer where lounging on the beach. Summer and Tori had just done some surfing. They were chatting when Tori's communicator went off. Tori looked at it quickly then back at the other two. "Oh. I've got to go." She said. "What?" Summer asked. "Now?" "Uh, yeah. I'll see you later, bye." Tori said as she quickly grabbed her things and went to her van. Summer looked at Larissa. "That was weird..." She began. Larissa nodded. They both shrugged. "Ok, so now what?" Summer asked. "I wanted to ask you something." Larissa began...."Ok?" Summer replied  
  
"What was all that back at the store, with Hunter and Blake?" She asked. Summer sighed. She shrugged. "I dunno. I just got this weird vibe from them. Like I knew them." She said, staring at the ocean. Larissa looked at her. "Maybe you knew them in a past life." Larissa smiled. Summer laughed and rolled her eyes, playfully pushing her friend aside. "A past life? Really? Your one strange girl Larissa." Summer joked.  
  
-End Chapter-  
  
A/N: ok so that's then end of chapter four. Please read and review, it's much appreciated. Ttfn! Teal 


	5. Fights

The rangers all arrived to Ninja Opts. Everyone stared at Shane. He was limping and it looked like he was going to be getting a black eye.  
  
"What the heck happened to you?" Cam asked. Shane looked at his friends. He wasn't about to tell them that a girl who was shorter then him had caused all this.  
  
"Uh, these...Huge thugs where mugging a poor little old lady, and I tried to help her, and got jumped myself." Shane lied.  
  
"Wow, are you OK?" Tori asked. Shane nodded. He looked at Cam.  
  
"Is something wrong? Our communicators went off." Cam sighed.  
  
"Sorry, stupid glitch in the system. I'm in the middle of fixing it." He said.  
  
"So you're saying I bailed on Larissa and Summer, probably making them think I'm crazy, for nothing?" Tori asked.  
  
"Who's Summer and Larissa?" Cam and Shane asked.  
  
"These girls who just moved to town." Dustin said. "Summer's working at Storm Chargers, you should come by tomorrow afternoon, she starts then. You can meet her."  
  
"Right, well, since there's no trouble, I think I'm going to go home and, well, die." Shane winced as he left Ninja Opts.  
  
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Hunter stood on a cliff by the beach, staring at the sky. He sat down on the ground, thinking about his days at the Thunder Academy with Blake and the other students. All the other students became friends to Blake and Hunter after their parents were killed. All, except one, Hunter remembered. There was one guy at the school who never spoke, always kept his face covered with the hood of the ninja uniform. He and Hunter always had a silence competition going on between them.  
  
~~Hunter soared through the sky after the student flipped him over with just one foot. Hunter fell on his back and spun around, glaring up at the student as he stood up, dusting himself off with ease. He turned to leave. Hunter jumped to his feet. He may have been just twelve, but he still had his pride, and he wasn't going to let someone walk away from a fight. He launched himself at the student, tackling them to the ground. The student grunted as the two fell. Hunter's fist slammed against his face. The student kneed him in the stomach, throwing Hunter off. The student sat up and wiped his hand across his nose, which was now bleeding. The student glared at Hunter. He got up and then left.~~  
  
That had been the last time Hunter had seen him. He remembered asking Sensei Oramo about the student. Sensei simply looked at him and said that the boy's family called for him to be sent home.  
  
Hunter had no idea why he was remembering the student now. It had been almost six years since the day the student left the academy. So why was Hunter suddenly remembering the guy?  
  
"Hey." Came a voice. Hunter turned his head to see Summer standing behind him.  
  
"Oh..Hi.." He said.  
  
"You ok? You look kinda, I dunno, spaced out." Summer said. Hunter looked at her and managed to form a sentence.  
  
"Ya, sorry. I'm good." He told her. Summer smiled.  
  
"Mind if I join you?" She asked. Hunter nodded. Summer looked at him. "Is that a yes, I can, or yes, you mind?" She asked. Hunter smiled.  
  
"Yes, you can." He said. Summer smiled and sat down next to him.  
  
"Thanks. Mind if I ask what you were thinking about?" Summer asked. Hunter sighed and looked off into the distance. Summer looked down. "Sorry." She said. "I have this habit of overstepping boundaries. I mean, I just met you a few hours ago, and I'm being so nosey." Hunter looked at her.  
  
"No, it's OK." He said. "I just really don't know what I'm thinking about." He said.  
  
"Like, one of those everything and anything moments?" Summer asked.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"I understand." She said. "I have them too. Different for each person though." Summer told him. Hunter looked at her.  
  
"What do you think about during those moments?" He asked her. Summer twiddled with her fingers slightly before mumbling her answer. "my parents." Hunter looked at her quizically. "I'm sorry I didn't get that." He told her. Summer sighed.  
  
"During those everything moments, I think about my mom and dad." She said a little louder.  
  
"Oh." He said. "Where are they?" He asked. Summer looked down.  
  
"I'm not sure." She sighed. She looked up. "I'm not too religious, so I don't really know where a person goes after they die. Although, physically they are in a cemetery in New York." She said. Hunter stared at her.  
  
"Oh..Man, I'm so sorry." He said. Summer shook her head.  
  
"It's OK." She said, offering a smile. The two were silent for a while. Hunter looked at her.  
  
"My parents died too." He said. Summer looked at him. "Well, my real parents..I don't know anything about them..But, I was adopted...And my adopted parents, were killed when I was eight years old." He said.  
  
"I was eleven." Summer said softly.  
  
"Guess we have something in common." Hunter almost whispered. Summer nodded.  
  
"Ya, guess so." Summer said, looking down. She took a deep breath. "I miss them." She whispered. "I see little girls with their mommies and daddies and I can't help envy that." She said.  
  
"I know what you mean. Blake and I see these guys with their dads, doing what sons and dads do, and we feel insanely jealous." He sighed. Summer looked at him.  
  
"Blake's parents passed away too?" She asked.  
  
"Blake's my adopted brother." Hunter said.  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Ya, he's my best friend. If anything ever happened to him, I don't know what I'd do." Hunter told her. Summer nodded.  
  
"Guess we never really think that were gonna lose a family member, or loved one until it really happens." She replied sadly, a single tear rolling down her cheek. Hunter looked at her. He reached over and gently wiped the tear away. Summer looked at him, feeling his hand against her cheek. Their eyes locked. Both were filled with the same sense with familiarity again. Summer looked away.  
  
"Uh, I better go." She said softly, pushing herself to her feet. "I'll see you tomorrow at work." She smiled as she walked away. Hunter stared after Summer's retreating form. There was something about her that seemed so familiar...but he wasn't sure what it was. No matter. He'd get to know her better soon enough.  
  
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Joey tried unpacking some of the kitchen appliances. She winced a bit. Larissa looked at her.  
  
"What's wrong?" She asked. Joey looked at her.  
  
"Nothing." She sighed. She tried picking up the food processor from the box and hissed in pain and clutched her stomach.  
  
"Doesn't sound like nothing." Larissa sighed. She went up to Joey and took her arm. She led her to one of the kitchen chairs and made her sit down. Larissa caught sight of discoloration under Joey's shirt. She lifted Joey's shirt up a bit and saw a large bruise forming on Joey's abs. "What the hell happened?" Larissa asked, worried. Joey sighed.  
  
"Got in a fight." She said.  
  
"Again? Jesus Joey, we've been here not even three days and your already trying to get yourself into a whole lotta trouble. Are you crazy or something? Do you go looking for fights?" Larissa scolded. Joey rolled her eyes.  
  
"Hey that ass called me 'Skyla'. And I asked him if he always wandered around through the forest calling out people's names, and we got into a fight." Joey replied. Larissa shook her head disapprovingly.  
  
"Only you Joey, only you." She sighed. She looked at her. "So, do I need to ask how the other guy is?" She asked.  
  
"I kicked the jewels, punched the face, and punched the eye." Joey grinned.  
  
"Lordy, brutal much?" Larissa said.  
  
"Naw, he just got the normal treatment." Joey replied. Larissa stared at her.  
  
"You are not normal. I think I feel sorry for the guy." She said. Joey looked at her.  
  
"Hey! He hit a girl for cripes sake! What was I supposed to do? Stand there and cry?"  
  
"And no doubt, you hit him first?" Larissa asked. Joey looked away.  
  
"Maybe." Joey muttered. Larissa gave a bitter laugh.  
  
"Wow, I'm psychic." Larissa muttered. She blinked a few times. Joey looked at her.  
  
"Lar-" She said.  
  
"Look, I'm really tired of being the little trainer of my little pit bull. You act like you're my big sister, well, act like it. Set an example for me or something." She sighed.  
  
"You don't need an example. You're the most normal of all of us."  
  
"Yeah, don't I know it." Larissa said. "I mean hell, Summer has some hot guy drooling all over her, she almost got herself killed yesterday and she drives like a maniac. Then of course there's you Joey. You pick fights with any random people that seems to piss you off that didn't even talk to you! And then of course there's me. The youngest most innocent of you all. I can't do any damage cause I know my freakin boundries with the rest of the world. For you and Summer it's "all for me and me for all", screw the rest of the world!!!" Larissa yelled. She turned around and stormed up the stairs and slammed her bedroom door locking it. Joey sat in the chair, speechless.  
  
"What have I done?" She asked quietly. The front door opened as Summer came in. She saw Joey sitting alone, and instantly knew something was wrong.  
  
"OK, what'd I miss?" Summer asked, walking into the kitchen. Joey sighed and got up, wincing a bit.  
  
"I got into a fight with some guy, per usual, and Lar's mad at me..or us...I'm not quite sure. And now, I'm going to bed." She said. She looked at Summer. "Heard you got a job."  
  
"Yeah. Should I go talk to Ris?" Summer asked. Joey shook her head.  
  
"She needs time alone." Joey said. "We can try in the morning."  
  
"OK. I'll try in the morning. Feel better Jo...nite" Summer replied. She watched Joey go up to her room. Summer went to her own room. 


	6. Talks and a Massage

The After Series Chapter 6 by Teal-Becky102285  
  
A/N: Hey guys, Teal's back again, and feeling, crafty today. Maybe I'll do my homework, then again, maybe not lol. Becky did a great job on chapter 5, as she usually does, and were great full for the reviews everyone's been giving us, were so happy you guys like the story, so without further waiting, and the fact that Joey just might rear her ugly and bruised face, again, here's chapter 6.  
  
Chapter 6: Talks and a Massage.  
  
The next day, Summer left around 12:30 for her first day at her new job at Storm Chargers. Joey had decided to sleep in, and Larissa was busy on her computer. Around one, Joey rose from her bed and decided to go talk to Larissa. She went to her friend's room and knocked on the door. "Come in." Came Larissa's voice. Joey entered the room.  
  
"Hey." She said softly as she sat down on Larissa's bed. Larissa turned in her chair to face her.  
  
"How are you feeling?" She asked. "A little sore." Joey said with a smile. "But, as always, I'll survive." She said. Larissa sighed.  
  
"Is that what you call what you've been doing for the past few months?" Larissa asked. "Surviving?" Joey looked down.  
  
"No." She said softly. "It's not." She looked up at Larissa. "Listen, I'm sorry. You were right last night. I should set some example or something." "Like you said, I don't need an example." Larissa said. "But, I do need a friend who will talk to me instead of using local boys as punching bags."  
  
"Again, you're right. And I'm sorry I haven't been doing that a lot lately." Joey took a deep breath. "I've been to busy trying not to react to all that's been happening, and that just causes me to react in different, less sane ways." "Less sane? Joe I don't think you were ever 'sane'." Larissa joked. Joey smiled. "Yeah, you're probably right, but that's ok." Joey smiled. "So what are we doing today?" Larissa quirred. Joey shrugged. "Figured, we'd go bugg Summer at her new job, make sure she doesn't get fired." Joey kidded. Larissa smiled. "Ok, let me finish up here, give me an hour and we'll go." Larissa told her. Joey nodded and got up off the bed and wandered towards the door. "Hey Joey!" Larissa called out. Joey turned around and looked at her. "Yeah?" She asked. Larissa smiled. "Thanks for, well just thanks." Larissa said. "Hey, I should be thanking you. See ya in a bit." And with that Joey padded off down the stairs towards the kitchen, smiling.  
  
Larissa smiled as Joey walked out of her room. She knew this talk didn't mean Joey was suddenly going to stop being the way she was, but Larissa was greatful Joey acknowledged that her actions might hurt others (others then the ones she beats up) and that Joey was at least trying to make it up to Larissa.  
  
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Summer was happy her first day at work seemed to be going well. She gave a friendly smile as she finished ringing up a customer's purchase and handed them their bag.  
  
"Thanks for shopping at Storm Chargers." She said as the customer left. Hunter smiled and walked up to Summer. You know," he said, leaning on the counter. "You don't have to say that." He smirked, finding her need to be friendly kind of cute. Summer gave a small laugh.  
  
"Well, it never hurts to be friendly to the customers." She said. The door of the store opened. Summer looked over to see a dark skinned boy in red walk in. He looked like he had been in a fight. Hunter looked over. "Hey man." He greeted the boy. The boy walked over. He looked at Summer.  
  
"So, this must be Kelly's newest slave." He smiled. Hunter laughed.  
  
"Shane, this is Summer, Summer, this is Shane." Hunter said, introducing them. Summer extended her hand to Shane.  
  
"I prefer employee." She laughed as she shook Shane's hand. "Hey, whatever floats your boat." Shane joked. Summer laughed. Her laugh was music to Hunter's ears. He smiled gently at Summer and walked back into the stock room to get some more boxes. The bell clanged loudly, signaling that new customers arrived. Summer peered around Shane's body and recognized her friend's immedality. "Larissa! Joey! What are you guys doing here? I though I was going to meet you at the beach after I finished work?" Summer smiled. "We decided to show early." Larissa said. "That's great. Hey, where are my manners, Larissa, Joey, this is Shane, a friend of Hunter and Dustin's, Shane, the shorter girl is Larissa Lekika, and the other Joey Sanchez, my best friends." Summer said. Shane swung around, giving him the old Clarke charm, when he noticed that the taller of the two was the girl he'd fought yesterday. "YOU!" The both cried at the same time, causing nearby customers to give them strange looks.  
  
This also caused Dustin, Blake and Hunter to come over. "What's going on?" Hunter asked. Joey and Shane didn't seem to notice, as the two got in a glaring match. Summer looked at Larissa, who shrugged.  
  
"What the heck are you doing here?" Shane said through gritted teeth.  
  
"I didn't know this place was off limits." Joey replied in a icy tone. "So, Shane, is it? Wow, you strike me more as a 'Doofus'." "Well, 'Joey' is it? I never knew Lucifer's demon child had a name." Shane shot back.  
  
"I'm guessing these two met." Dustin said.  
  
"Freaky." Blake commented.  
  
"Let me guess, this is the guy you fought yesterday?" Larissa said with a sigh. Joey looked at Shane, seeing his black eye. She smirked and walked over to him. "Aw, did I do that?" She asked in a mockingly concerned voice. She went to touch his eye. Shane swatted her hand away. Joey laughed. Hunter, Blake and Dustin looked at Shane.  
  
"Uh, I don't know what light you were in at the time, but she doesn't look like 'big thugs mugging a little old lady'." Blake said, an amused look on his face. Him, Dustin and Hunter burst out laughing. Joey glared at them. "What's so funny?" Joey said. "What, can't believe a girl can beat a guy up? Well, keep laughing and I'll show you."  
  
The guys backed away slowly. "Uh we don't want to be hurt. Please don't hurt us." Blake said. Just then Kelly came walking around the corner, and found Joey glaring daggers at her "employees". "Hey! What's going on here? You." She said pointing at Joey. "If your going to fight someone, it's not going to be on my property. Now be nice to them, or leave." Kelly hissed. Angry that someone would try to pick a fight with one, or more of her employees. "Fine." Joey huffed. I can see when I'm not wanted here. Larissa lets go. Summer; see you at home, if you don't want to hang out with your "new Friends." Later!" Joey said, as she snatched Larissa's wrist and stormed out of Storm Chargers. Kelly looked at Summer evilly. "You know who she is?" She asked. Summer nodded. "Um ya. She's one of my best friends." Summer replied. Kelly nodded. "Tell her to either clean up her act, or she's not welcome on Storm Charger property ever again." And with that Kelly marched back into the stock room.  
  
Summer sighed. "And today was going so well." She muttered. Shane turned and saw his three friends staring at him. "Don't even think about laughing." He warned. "It's not like you three where rushing to step up to her." "Well, yeah, cause, she's scary." Dustin said. "Very." Blake nodded. Hunter turned to Summer. "How are you friends with someone so...Frightening?" He asked. Summer glared at him a bit, angry he'd talk about her best friend like that. Hunter saw the look he got and his eyes widened a bit. "Joey's a great person. Maybe she's just a good judge of characters, she see's assholes right away." She said lowly. "I'm going to take a break." She said to them all as she stalked away from the three of them and headed to the break room. Hunter sighed.  
  
"Nice guys, very nice." Hunter said, walking back to the break room. There he found Summer staring out the back window, with her legs pulled up to her chest. "Hey just ignore them. They don't know what there talking about anyways." Hunter told her. Summer sighed. Hunter slowly, but gently dropped his hands onto her shoulders and began to massage her tension away. At first she tensed, but then she just let his hands remove all the tension that had collected in her back the last few days. She was at the point of almost falling asleep, when Hunter moved his hands. "Better?" He asked. Summer nodded. "Much thanks. How did you know that I need a massage?" She asked. Hunter shrugged. "I see a pretty girl in distress, I figure I may as well work my magic on her and give her a nice massage." Hunter winked. Summer rolled her eyes. "Yah, and the next thing I'll know, you'll be using some cheap pick-up line for me to go out on a date with you." She joked. Hunter sobered. "Did it hurt?" He asked. Summer stared at him. "Did what hurt?" She asked. "When you fell from Heaven?"  
  
Summer laughed. "Funny." She said. Hunter smiled. "Glad I could make you laugh." He said. He sat down next to her. "I'm sorry if I seemed kind of un-nice about your friend." He said. Summer shook her head. "It's OK." She said. "I guess I get a little protective at times. Well, all three of us are. I mean, we're like a family. And no one, I mean no one, messes with my family." "I'd pity the person who'd do that and have to face your wrath." Hunter smiled. Summer laughed. "Don't make fun of me." "I'm not." Hunter said. "Anyway, I know what you mean. Blake's my brother, and the others, are like a family to me, if someone hurt them, well, let's just say it wouldn't be pretty." 


	7. Relationships

Larissa looked at Joey as the two left Storm Chargers.  
  
"Why don't you try playing nice?" Larissa asked. Joey looked at her.  
  
"I don't play nice with assholes." Joey replied. Larissa sighed.  
  
"Joey, come on." She said. "Can you at least pretend to be nice? Hold in your violent tendencies for a bit? I don't feel like being banished from the store when we haven't even been in this town a week."  
  
"I guess I could. But that jerk started it Lariss!" Joey said. Larissa sighed and shrugged her shoulders.  
  
"Ok, lets think of it this way. Summer works there, she doesn't want to loose her job, that guy in the crimson likes her....hmm lets think long and hard about this Jo...Avoid, or even ignore him and he might just go away." Larissa told her friend. Joey looked at her.  
  
"That guy in crimson likes Summer?" She asked. Larissa nodded.  
  
"Wow, aren't you supposed to be the older wiser one?" Larissa smirked. Joey rolled her eyes.  
  
"I don't spend my mental energy on guys, and you shouldn't either." Joey said. Larissa looked at her.  
  
"Not everyone has the 'if it has a penis it's evil' mentality that you have, Josephina." Larissa said. Joey gave her a dirty look.  
  
"Well, experience hasn't proved otherwise." Joey responded.  
  
"Yeah, your mom's experience." Larissa said. Joey glared at her.  
  
"Do not talk about my mother." Joey said. Larissa winced, realizing she shouldn't have gone there. Joey looked at her. "Hey, if you want to hang around here in the dumb males section, be my guest. Get a ride from Summer." Joey said, and with that, she got in her car and drove away, leaving Larissa standing there.  
  
"Well, that went well." Larissa snarled, as she marched back towards Storm Chargers. It was going to be another long day.  
  
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Hunter and Summer continued to sit in the break room and periodically look at each other. Summer was feeling a little uncomfortable under his constant gaze.  
  
"What?" She finally asked. Hunter blinked.  
  
"Huh? Oh, nothing. I just...I can't help thinking that we've met before." He said.  
  
"Is that another cheesy line?" Summer asked. Hunter laughed and shook his head.  
  
"No, I mean it." He said. "I feel like we've met before." Summer looked at him.  
  
"To be honest, I kind of feel the same." She said. She shrugged. "Maybe we met in a past life."  
  
"A past life?" Hunter joked.  
  
"Hey maybe. Who knows? But ya I should be getting back to work." Summer told him. She went to stand up when he suddenly grabbed her wrist. "What?" She asked.  
  
Hunter looked away sheepishly. "Uh, I was wondering if you'd like to go out on a date with me?" He asked  
  
Summer looked at him. "I dunno Hunter, we just met and everything..." She told him,  
  
Hunter looked at her, "Yah, but look at it this way. Your best friend hates my best friend, so it's kinda like fate."  
  
"I dunno." She replied.  
  
"Summer, I know it sounds weird, but I don't think I could stand it if anything happened to you. I have this strange feeling that I need to protect you." He told her. Summer looked at him.  
  
"And what makes you think I need protecting?" She asked.  
  
"I don't know." He admitted. Summer took a deep breath.  
  
"Hunter, your attempts are admirable, really, but I know where this is going." She said. "You see some blonde girl and think she's some little damsel in distress and needs a big strong man to protect her. Well, I don't need protecting. I have done well without it thus far, so there really is no need for you to sprout out some corny line about needing to protect me."  
  
"I just thoug-" He started.  
  
"Well you thought wrong. Hunter. I'm sorry but not right now anyways. Maybe some other time." Summer replied, beginning to leave the room. Hunter looked at her.  
  
"Is that just a nice way of saying no way in this lifetime?" He asked. Summer looked at him.  
  
"Maybe." She replied. Hunter stood up. He walked over to her and stared into her eyes.  
  
"Well, I should tell you, I'm a very persistent boy." He said, smiling a bit. Summer cocked an eyebrow.  
  
"And I should tell you, I loathe persistent boys." She said as she left the break room.  
  
"Damn." He said, following her. "Is there anything I can do to change your mind?" He asked softly, placing his hands on her small waist and turning her around gently. Summer looked at him. She sighed.  
  
"Honestly, no." She said. "Like you said, my friend hates your friend. And I'm not about to put myself, or you for that matter, in some awkward middle of the battling zone position. Sorry." She said as she walked away from him. Hunter sighed. Larissa saw Summer and walked over to her.  
  
"Hey." She said. Summer looked at her.  
  
"I thought you left with Jo." She said. Larissa shook her head.  
  
"I think I managed to piss her off, she drove off with out me." Larissa said. Summer sighed.  
  
"Oh great."  
  
"Yah. So basically I get to drive home with you. Or I can walk." Larissa told her by the expression Summer got on her face when she said that.  
  
"No Rissa. It's ok. I'm just, I dunno." Summer began  
  
Larissa looked at her questioningly. "Something wrong?" She asked  
  
Summer shrugged. "Hunter wants me to go out with him, but I dunno. He says he feels he needs to "protect me". Whatever that means." Summer told her. Larissa looked at her.  
  
"What's so wrong with that?" She asked. Summer looked at her.  
  
"Excuse me? Since when am I someone who needs protecting?" She asked, feeling a little offended. Larissa shook her head.  
  
"I'm not saying you need it. But, isn't it nice that someone, more specifically, a guy, wants to protect you? Doesn't that mean he cares?" Larissa asked. Summer thought about that for a bit. She sighed.  
  
"I guess. But, I don't want that right now.." She said, her voice trailing off a bit. "It'd be a dis-"  
  
"Traction?" Larissa finished for her. Summer nodded. "I see." Larissa said. "Look, I'm the young one here, so, I've got no place or right to tell you what to do, or give you advice, but, do me a favor, don't become some cynical man-basher like Joey, please?" She pleaded. Summer laughed softly.  
  
"I'll do my best to stay out of that." Summer said. Larissa looked at her.  
  
"So what are you going to do?" She asked Summer. Summer shrugged.  
  
"Maybe one date. Maybe...I dunno." Summer replied. Larissa nodded.  
  
"Well what ever you do, it'll be the right decision." Larissa said patting her shoulder gently. Summer smiled.  
  
"You know, for someone who says has 'no place in giving advice' you do a pretty good job at it." She said. Larissa gave a dry laugh.  
  
"All my knowledge of relationships is based entirely on movies and such." She said. Summer looked at her and gave her a soft smile. Larissa had never had a boyfriend, or a crush. Summer remembered a time where she almost thought Larissa might've been a lesbian. But then she, Larissa and Joey watched The Princess Diaries once, and Larissa said Erik Von Detton was a hottie, so that pretty much told Summer Larissa was into guys.  
  
"I'm sure once you find a guy worth your time, things will change." She said.  
  
"Well, I hope that happens sometime before my 80th birthday." Larissa muttered. Summer walked over to the cash register and stood behind it. Larissa went over and leaned against the counter.  
  
"It'll happen, don't worry." Summer said. At that moment, the door of the store opened as someone walked into the shop. Summer looked up to see the new customer. It was an Asian looking guy with glasses dressed in jeans and a green button down shirt. Hunter, Blake, Shane and Dustin saw the new arrival and went over to greet him.  
  
"Hey guys." He said.  
  
"Hey." The others said.  
  
"Oh, dude, you got to meet our new buds." Dustin said. He ushered the guy over to where Larissa and Summer stood. Larissa turned around to see what was going on and froze. Her mouth suddenly felt as dry as cotton, her palms suddenly began to sweat.  
  
"Hey." Summer said as Dustin walked over.  
  
"Summer, Larissa, this is Cam. Cam, this is Summer and Larissa." Dustin said. Cam smiled at Summer. He then looked over at Larissa. She looked like she was about to have a heart attack or something.  
  
"Hey, you OK?" He asked. Summer looked at Larissa.  
  
"Rissa." Summer said, gently whacking her on the back. Larissa blinked.  
  
"Huh? Oh...Uh..Yeah..I'm OK..." She stammered. Cam laughed. Larissa smiled. She swung around to Summer. "Um, I'm going to walk home. I'll see you later." She told Summer. And before the blond could say another word, Larissa had run from Storm Chargers as if the devil was on her tail. The guys looked at Summer.  
  
"Does your friend always run out on you like that?" Cam asked. Summer hung her head in shame then said. "No, not always, you should have been here earlier. My friend tried to take on everyone here..." Summer rolled her eyes and the guys laughed.  
  
"Oh yeah, dude," Dustin grinned. "You know those 'thugs' that beat Shane up?" Shane glared at Dustin.  
  
"Do not go there." He growled. "Besides, she's crazy enough, she might as well have been 'thugs'." He added, gaining a glare from Summer.  
  
"Do not talk about my best friend like that. You don't even know her. And besides, who's to say you didn't provoke her?" Shane looked at her.  
  
"She's so violent, I think a butterfly would 'provoke' her." Shane countered. Summer glared more intently at him.  
  
"If you keep talking about her like that, her beating you up will not be problem." She said. Hunter quickly stepped in.  
  
"OK, OK, relax." He said. He looked at Shane. "Seriously dude, lay off." Shane looked at him.  
  
"Excuse me? Why am I suddenly the bad guy? Whatever, I'm out of here." He said as he stormed off. Cam, Blake, Dustin and Hunter sighed. Hunter looked at Summer. She took a deep breath.  
  
"Thanks." She said. "But like I said before, I don't need protecting." And with that she went to the break room again. Hunter groaned.  
  
"I am not having a good day." He muttered. The other's looked at him again. "What?" Hunter asked.  
  
"Dude....you like her don't you?" Dustin asked. Hunter looked at him. 'Guess he's gotten over trying not to be so obvious about it.' Hunter's mind screamed. Sighing, Hunter nodded. Blake and Cam smiled whereas Dustin laughed happily. "I knew you did man! Alright!" Dustin practically cheered. Hunter rolled his eyes.  
  
"Glad to know that your psychic skills are improving." Hunter said sarcastically. "But a lot of good liking her does. I don't think she feels the same." Dustin, Blake and Cam looked at him.  
  
"Well, has she actually said that?" Blake asked.  
  
"Well, I tried asking her out when we were in the break room before." Hunter said.  
  
"And what happened?" Blake asked.  
  
"Got shot down worse then Daffy Duck during hunting season." Hunter replied. "She said no."  
  
"But did she say she doesn't like you?" Dustin asked.  
  
"Why does that matter?"  
  
"Well, duh!" Dustin said. "If she didn't actually say the words, all hope is not lost yet." Dustin said, giving him a big smile.  
  
"Yeah. Hey, maybe she just feels it's too soon to be dating, or something." Blake suggested. "Get to know her a bit more, hang out with her, in a couple of weeks, or even less then that, then you can try again."  
  
"So, I'm guessing you're in the 'hang out with her' stage with Tori then?" Hunter asked, with a smirk.  
  
"Ha, ha, very funny." Blake replied.  
  
"Well it's the truth isn't it?" Hunter questioned. "You've known her for almost 5 months, and you haven't asked her out yet."  
  
Blake looked at him. "So what? I don't have to ask her if I don't want to." Blake told him.  
  
"But, you want to." Hunter said. "And don't go saying she doesn't like you, cause the feeling's obviously mutual. So just get it over with." Hunter replied. Blake shrugged. And Hunter gave up and looked longingly at the break room where Summer was. Dustin jabbed him in the sides.  
  
"Go man....at least get to know her a bit...then develop it more." Hunter looked at him.  
  
"I dunno." Hunter said. "She seemed a little pissed, maybe she needs to be left alone for a while."  
  
"Or maybe she needs to talk." Cam suggested. Hunter sighed.  
  
"Fine."  
  
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Summer sat in the back room, facing the wall. The door opened. She looked over to see Hunter walk in.  
  
"Hey, mind if I come in?" He asked. Summer shrugged.  
  
"I'm not the mistress of the back room." She said. Hunter shut the door and sat down beside her. The two were silent for a while.  
  
"I'm sorry..For how I've been acting today.." Summer finally said.  
  
"It's OK." Hunter said. "Although Kelly might have issues with the constant breaks." He joked. Summer gave a small laugh.  
  
"I'll just tell her it's that time of the month." Summer replied.  
  
"OK, let's not go there." Hunter laughed. Summer laughed as well. He looked at her. "I'm sorry...For asking you out before, and offending you. I realize we just met and all but.."  
  
"No, we haven't." She said. She looked at him. "Remember, we've met in a past life." She said, giving him a half smile. Hunter smiled.  
  
"Well, we just got reacquainted." He said. "Anyway, I know I was moving kind of fast." He looked at her. "I like you." He said honestly. Summer looked in his eyes and saw that he meant it. She looked away.  
  
"Thanks. But, I think I need to get fully settled in to this new town and everything before any relationship stuff comes up. I don't need a boyfriend right now. But a friend will do." She said. Hunter nodded.  
  
"Then a friend I shall be." He said, giving a warm smile. Summer smiled.  
  
"Thank you." She then gave a soft laugh. "But, I mean, if you still want to be a persistent boy, you can still chase me. I'm just not ready to be caught yet." She said.  
  
"Oh, so you're one of those girls who likes the attention?" He asked with a smirk. Summer laughed.  
  
"Guilty." She said. Hunter laughed.  
  
"OK. I can deal with that. Just give me a heads up when you're close to being caught." He said.  
  
"Will do." She said. She rested her head against his shoulder. Hunter put an arm around hers. 'I guess all hope isn't lost yet.' He thought to himself.  
  
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Blake, Cam and Dustin all poked their heads into the back room and saw Hunter with his arm around Summer, who's head was gently resting on his shoulder. They looked so cute, and comfy. They didn't want to disrupt them, so they quietly shut the door and went back to work.  
  
"Dustin man how did you know that Summer would give him a chance?" Blake asked. Dustin shrugged  
  
"To tell you the truth, I have no idea...I wish I knew." Dustin replied. The three boys laughed and continued working. Cam's mind was a million miles away thinking about the girl he'd only met for 2 minutes and had escaped his life as quickly as she had come...'She sure was pretty' His mind told him. Cam smiled and agreed with his mind. 


	8. Kisses, Fights, and Makeup's

Chapter 8: kisses, fights, and make-up's  
  
A few days went by, Summer and Hunter were hanging out a lot at work, and sometimes afterwards, Blake had yet to ask out Tori, Cam and Larissa hadn't seen much of each other, Shane was back to his usually self after the swelling on his eye began to go down a bit, and Joey hadn't spoken to any of their new friends. Tori and Summer were at the beach together. They had just spent some time surfing and wake boarding and were now lounging on the sand.  
  
"So," Tori began, "What's the deal with you and Hunter?" She asked. Summer shrugged.  
  
"Nothing. We're just friends." She said. 'For now.' She thought to herself. "It seems like its more then friends." Tori commented nonchalantly.  
  
"Well, what's the deal with you and Blake?" Summer asked, turning the tables.  
  
"Nothing, we're just friends." Tori said. Summer smirked.  
  
"Really? Oh, that's good." She said.  
  
"It is?" Tori asked, confused. Summer nodded. "Uh huh. Because, I was thinking of asking him out. I mean, he's a real cutie." Tori's head snapped at her quickly, jealousy raging inside her.  
  
"Excuse me?" She demanded. "You are not asking him out." Summer laughed.  
  
"Wow, for someone who's just a friend, you sure are possessive." "It's just well...um..." Tori began. Summer laughed.  
  
"Oh Tori I was only joking. I'd never ask Blake out.... not my type." Summer told her. Tori blushed three different shades of red. Summer continued to giggle when a shadow stepped in the way of Summer and Tori's sunlight. "Hey! What's the meani-Hey Hunter!" Summer exclaimed. Hey." Hunter said smiling softly. She looked absolutely beautiful wear a two- piece pink and white bikini. Blake stood beside Hunter and was talking to Tori quietly. Hunter held out his arm indicating that he wanted to walk and Summer took it gently and they began strolling down the beach.  
  
Blake and Tori watched Summer and Hunter walking off.  
  
"And they expect us to believe they're just friends?" Tori smirked. Blake laughed and sat down on the sand beside her.  
  
"They're taking it slow, I imagine." Blake said. Tori looked at him.  
  
"I guess so." She said. "What's the deal with that? I mean, I say carpe diem, cease the day. Taking it slow is boring." She said. Hunter and Summer strolled arm in arm down the beach. Neither had much to say, their quietness expressing their feelings the best. 'Maybe I should just go out with him. I mean the feelings are obviously mutual now.' Summer's mind was saying. Hunter's mind was saying something totally different. 'Maybe I should just stop doing this to myself and just say "lets be friends". I dunno if she's just leading me on, or if her feelings are real.'  
  
Summer pulled her arm away from Hunter's and looked him in the eyes. Hunter turned slowly. "We need to talk." The both said at the same time. They laughed. "You first." Hunter prodded. Summer let out her breath slowly and looked at him. "I've been thinking long and hard about this Hunter. And I've come to a decision..." She began. Hunter just stared at her. 'Oh no, she's going to give me the speech first.' His mind screamed. He shut his eyes tightly as she began to speak again. "I'd like to try being something more than friends." She told him quietly. His eyes snapped open. "What?" He asked. Summer smiled. "Here's my answer." The blond said. And before Hunter could get two words in edgewise her soft lips were pressed gently against his. When she pulled away she looked at him again. "Now what were you going to say Hunter?" She asked. Hunter looked at her. "I don't remember." He told her. Summer laughed and hugged him.  
  
Blake looked at Tori.  
  
"So," he said. "You really believe that a person should 'cease the day'?" He asked. Tori looked at him and nodded.  
  
"Yeah, I mean, you only live once. It's better to do what you really want to do then to not do it and wonder what would've happe-mmph." Tori was cut off by Blake pressing his lips to hers. Tori was shocked. Blake pulled back. He looked at her. Tori blinked. "Umm.... What was that?" She asked. "I think it was me, ceasing the day." He replied. He suddenly got worried. "Maybe I shouldn't have." He said. "I'm sor..." He was cut off by Tori pressing her lips to his. "Next time, try not to wait so long to do some ceasing." She said, giving a flirtatious smile.  
  
Hunter took Summer's small hand in his and intertwined their fingers. He was floating on cloud nine now. "So...what made you change your mind?" He asked. Summer shrugged. "I guess just spending more time with you." She told him. Hunter smiled gently. The poor boy was so happy he though he was going to break out into song. "So when do we go out on our first "date"?" Hunter asked. Summer smiled. "Do you wanna come over tonight and we can watch a movie and hang?" She asked innocently. Hunter nodded. "Sounds good. You want to pick the movie or me?" He asked. Summer though about it for a minute. "You can pick it out." She told him. Hunter smiled. "OK sounds good." He told her.  
  
"You what?!" Joey screamed. Summer looked at her. She had just gotten home from the beach and told Joey and Larissa about what happened.  
  
"I kissed him." Summer said slowly. Larissa smiled.  
  
"Go Summer." Larissa said. Joey glared at her.  
  
"Shut up." She snapped. She looked at Summer. "And he's coming here, tonight?"  
  
"Yeah." "Oh no he isn't. Because you did not consult us, your room mates. I mean, maybe Larissa doesn't feel like having you two making out in the living room."  
  
"I don't have a problem with it." Larissa shrugged. "I'll just be in my room." She looked at Summer. "Just don't be too noisy." She winked. Summer laughed. Joey glared at them both.  
  
"Fine! Maybe I don't feel like having you two making out in the living room!" Joey groaned. "Well, Larissa's OK with it, and we know I'm OK with it, so I guess majority rules." Summer shrugged. "So, either lock yourself in your room, or your studio, or go out." Joey glared at her.  
  
"Fine, I'll go out." She snarled.  
  
Summer stood in her room deciding on what to wear. They were staying in but she couldn't decide for the life of her what to wear. Throwing clothes randomly around the room she finally decided on a pair of nearly skin-tight black jeans with silver buttons down the sides.... standing in her pink bra, Summer couldn't decided on what top to wear. Larissa walked in and sat down on Summer's mattress, which hadn't been turned into a bed yet. "Can't decide?" Larissa asked. Summer turned around. "I picked out my pants, but I can't decide on a shirt. They all look horrible." Summer explained. Larissa nodded carefully and grabbed a top that was nearly at the bottom of the pile and tossed it to Summer. It was a white spaghetti strap tank top that looked a bit like a corset with little hooks on the front. Grabbing her pink blouse to top the outfit, Summer completed her outfit.  
  
Summer looked at Larissa. "I get it." She said. Larissa looked at her blankly. "Get what?" She asked. "You only pretend to be this clueless little brainy girl, when really your this fashion savy chica." Summer grinned. Larissa laughed and rolled her eyes. "Oh yeah, I have a total double life." She joked. "You know, on weekends, I sneak out, go to the local bars, and do my imitations of Cayote Ugly for pocket money." She said. Summer laughed. "Say that to Joey, watch her have a heart attack." Summer laughed. "Right." Larissa giggled. Summer looked at her. "Although, that wouldn't be too bad." She said. "Be nice." Larissa said. "You know how she feels about guys." "That they are all evil and must die, I know, I know." Summer sighed. Larissa shrugged. "Well, her dad totally abandoned her mom when she was just a fetus, causing her to be cynical and man-hating, and I guess Joey agreed with her." Larissa said. "I know, but, doesn't Joey know that not all men are put on this earth to cause pain?" Summer said softly. Larissa looked at her, she knew that deep inside, Summer was slightly afraid of letting Hunter in. The fact that she was being brave and taking the risk was really admirable in Larissa's eyes. "I'm sure Hunter's one of the non-pain-causing males." Larissa smiled. Summer smiled. "I know. I know he cares about me. And I care about him." She said. "Wow." Larissa said.  
  
"You really care about him?" Larissa asked. Summer nodded. "Ya I do. He's sweet, and caring and just all around, perfect basically. I really care about him." Summer confessed. Larissa smiled sweetly. "That's so cute." She said. Summer rolled her eyes and laughed. The doorbell rang in the distance. "Well...He's here." Summer told Larissa. Larissa smiled. "Go get him gurl!" Larissa told her. Summer laughed and ran downstairs to answer the door. The door of fate. Summer got within three feet of the door and smoothed out her jeans and shirt, she tossed the blouse onto the chair and opened the door. There stood Hunter. Dressed in a crimson muscle shirt and a black dressy shirt over it. He also wore a pair of blue jeans. He looked good enough to eat. "Hey Summer." He said smoothly. Summer smiled. "Hey Hunter." She said embracing him and giving him a light kiss on the lips. "Did you pick a movie?" She asked. He nodded and held it out.  
  
"Triple X?" Summer asked. "Yeah, I know, not date movie material, but the action sequences are great." He smiled. Summer laughed softly at how cute he was. "No apologies needed. I've actually been wanting to see it, just haven't gotten a chance to." She said. Hunter smiled. "Well, it's a good thing you have a boyfriend who's obsessed with action movies, then huh?" He asked. Summer laughed. "And a secure one." She said. "What?" He asked. "Well, you've got guts. Most guys wouldn't bring on a first date a movie that has hunky Vin Diesel in it." She grinned. Hunter froze. "Oh man, I knew I should've gotten something else." He muttered. Summer laughed. "Aw, it's OK." She smiled. "Buff guys don't do it for me anyway." She said. "Oh." He said. "Wait a minute...So what does that make me? Flabby?" Summer giggled and got closer to him, putting her arms on his chest. "I prefer the term 'cuddly'." She grinned. "I prefer the term 'cuddly'." She grinned. She gave him a quick kiss on the lips. Hunter looked at her. "I can live with cuddly." He decided. Summer smiled. "Good." She stepped back. "So, why don't you set the movie up, and I'll go make us some popcorn?" She asked. "Sounds good." He said. Summer smiled and headed off to the kitchen.  
  
Summer smiled and headed off to the kitchen. Hunter watched her leave and couldn't help it as a lovesick grin spread over his face. "Hey." Came a voice, startling Hunter, he turned to see Larissa by the stairs. She smiled. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you." Hunter returned her smile. "No, its ok, just-" "Had your mind on other things?" Larissa smirked. Hunter blushed a bit. Larissa walked over. "Listen, Joey's not here, but, knowing her, she'll probably give her 2 cents about you two next time she sees you, and let me tell you, they'll be very negative 2 cents." Hunter nodded. "Thanks for the warning." He said. Larissa shook her head. "It's not a warning. I mean, Joey might be a bit negative. But, I think you guys will be great together. I can see you really care about her." "I do." He said. Larissa smiled. "Good. Well I'm going to just get a soda, then I'll be unseen and unheard for the rest of tonight." She said, heading towards the kitchen. She stopped and looked at Hunter. "By the way, if for some reason I'm wrong, and you end up hurting Summer-" "Joey'll have my head on a stick?" He asked. Larissa smiled. "No, I will." She said, and with that she walked to the kitchen. Hunter gulped and began putting the movie into the VCR and got ready to spend a little "quality time" with Summer.  
  
Summer leaned up against the counter and smiled. Larissa walked in. "I though you were staying out of the way tonight?" Summer scolded playfully. Larissa smiled. "Ya just wanted to get a soda." She told Summer. Summer nodded as Larissa got a can of soda out of the fridge. Summer looked at her. Larissa popped the top and took a sip. "Is it totally pathetic that I'm kind of a little nervous?" Summer asked softly. Larissa looked at her. "Nervous?" She asked. "About...Hunter, and this whole relationship thing.." Summer said. "Oh." Larissa said. "Second thoughts?" She asked. The microwave dinged as it finished cooking the popcorn. Summer took the set of potholders they had and took out the bag from the microwave. She pulled out a bowl and poured the popcorn in it. "No, not that. It's just that.... I don't know, I'm just so worried that I'll say something stupid or something." She said. Larissa smirked. "Then find other things to do with your mouth." Larissa said. Summer laughed and threw a potholder at her. "You got your soda, bye." She said. Larissa giggled as she left the kitchen and went back up to her room.  
  
Shaking her head, Summer shook a little salt over the popcorn and grabbed a bottle of water for herself and a bottle of coke for Hunter. She walked back into the living room and set the bowl and bottles down the table and looked around. Hunter was nowhere to be found. "Strange. I could have sworn he was here." She said to herself. Unbeknownst to her, Hunter was sneaking up behind her. When she had put her hands on her hips, Hunter creped up behind her as close as he could get without touching her and lowered his mouth to his ear and went "boo" quietly. Summer screamed so loudly she could have woken the dead. Larissa came flying down the stairs and skidded to a stop when she saw Summer freaking out, and Hunter laughing like a lunatic on the couch. Shaking her head Larissa went back upstairs and left Summer to her own devices. Summer glared at Hunter. "What was that for?" She demanded. Hunter instantly saw she wasn't pleased and stopped laughing. "Uh..Sorry......I mean......I didn't think it would freak you out that much..." He said. And that was the truth. He had expected her to be just slightly startled and then laugh with him. But she looked like she wasn't anywhere near laughing. Panic filled Hunter as he realized this would probably the shortest date in the history of dates. "I mean, I didn't mean to scare you. I just thought it would be funny." He said. Summer narrowed her eyes. "Well it wasn't." She said. Hunter's jaw hung a bit. "I think you should go." Summer saw the look of horror on his face and burst out laughing, sitting next to him. Hunter stared at her blankly. "I didn't know the end of our date would be so hilarious." Hunter said, standing up, heading to the door. Summer looked at him. And of our date would be so hilarious." Hunter said, standing up, heading to the door. Summer looked at him. "Wait a minute, you can dish out little scare tactics but can't take them yourself?" She asked. Hunter stopped and looked at her. He saw that she had a smile on her face. Suddenly, realization dawned on him. He looked at her. "That was mean." He said. Summer walked over to him and put her arms around his waist. "Well, payback's not supposed to be nice." She stated matter of factly. "You really had me going there." Hunter said. Summer kissed him. "Well you really scared me. I thought it was some deranged psycho or something." She said. "So, next time you want to scare me, how about you just jump out in front of me or some thing. I'd be startled, but at least I'd know it was you." Hunter smiled. "Agreed. And next time you want to scare me, try using something other as threatening the end of us. That's just cruel." He said, turning serious. Summer nodded. "Agreed." She said. Hunter lowered his face to hers and the two kissed again. Summer pulled away. "OK so did you manage to get the movie set up without destroying everything?" She joked. Hunter rolled his eyes causing Summer to laugh again. She grabbed the remote and curled up against Hunter and pressed play.  
  
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Joey walked along the woods alone. She was fuming over Summer and her newly formed relationship with Hunter and needed to walk off some steam. For some reason, the woods she had been in before, where she had her first encounter with Shane seemed to calm her a bit. Maybe the trees and the general atmosphere did something to her, she wasn't sure, and honestly, whatever calming effect the woods had on her wasn't her concern at the moment. Her anger was. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts, she didn't see the guy in red sitting in the spot by the stone stove, but he had seen her. 'Wonderful, just wonderful.' Shane though. 'I try to get away from her, and she follows me here.' His mind growled. He was pissed off that she had shown up here, again. That made him angry. Maybe he'd teach her a lesson she'd never forget. "What are you doing here again? Didn't you learn the first time?" Shane called out to Joey. Joey turned around. "Well well well...if it isn't the resident asshole." She said. Shane smirked, two could play this game. "And look! It's Lucifer's Child!" He retorted. Joey's face darkened. "What did you call me?" Joey asked. Shane was treading on thin ice. "You really should get those ears checked." Shane said. Joey glared at him.  
  
"Drop dead." She said lowly. "I don't have the paitence for your bull now anyway."  
  
"Yet you followed me here." Shane pointed out. "You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd think you were stalking me." He smirked. Joey scoffed.  
  
"Don't flatter yourself." She said. "Besides, I didn't know you were here. Trust me, if I did, I would've gone some where else." "Well then, see ya." He said. Joey crossed her arms.  
  
"Excuse me, you are not the boss of me. I'll be where I want. You're the one who seems to have a problem with my presence, so why don't you go away?" She said as she sat down by a tree.  
  
"I was here first." Shane said. Joey shrugged.  
  
"Oh well." She said casually. Joey rested her head against the tree trunk and shut her eyes. Shane walked over to her. Joey didn't react.  
  
"I'm serious, I was here first, so you better leave." He said. Joey was silent. Shane growled and went back to where he had been sitting. Joey opened her eyes.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry, did you say something? I was busy imagining I was in the presence of someone who actually matters." She said in an icy sarcastic tone. Shane swung around and glared long and hard.  
  
"Hey, if your not careful, your ugly face might freeze that way." She told him. That was the last straw. He stalked over to Joey, raised his hand and brought it down across her cheek, slapping her, hard. Joey stumbled and her hand flew to her cheek. "You hit me?" She asked not believing it. Shane nodded. "Watch what you say." He growled. He walked away leaving Joey alone, holding her cheek. Joey glared at him as he walked away; she felt tears in her eyes. He made her cry...Well; he was not going to get away with that. She jumped to her feet and ran after him. Shane turned to face her just as she shoved him to the ground hard. Joey pinned him down and glared at him. "You are no one, nothing, you're a waste of space." She growled. "If you ever touch me again, I'll bash your face in." She threatened. Shane looked up at her and saw there where tears down her cheeks, his face softened a bit, momentarily forgetting this girl had done nothing but be a major bitch to him since he met her. Joey got up and sat by a nearby tree, looking down. Shane sat up. "Did I hurt you?" Shane asked kindly. Joey said nothing.  
  
"Hey? Did I hur-" "I heard you the first time. And why does it matter to you?" She growled. Shane sighed.  
  
"I just wanted to know..." He told her truthfully. Joey's head snapped up.  
  
"I don't think it's any of your business. Shane." She told him. "I...oh forget it. You brought it on yourself." He told her. "Yeah, whatever." She said, wiping at her tears. "That's what everyone says when they asault someone." She said.  
  
"Excuse me?" Shane said. "Let's not forget, you're the one who hit me first last time."  
  
"Well you pissed me off."  
  
"And the notion of just keeping your hands, or legs for that matter, to yourself is totally foreign to you?" He asked. "Well, apparently it is to you." She replied. Shane rolled his eyes.  
  
"Oh no, I am not going to be made the bad guy here. You started this." He said. Joey scoffed. What a typical guy thing to say. Women are the cause of the downfall of everything, right? I mean, first there are Adam and Eve, and now this. Well, my philosophy is this-It's all Adam's fault. He was stupid and took the apple. Eve didn't tempt him."  
  
"How very insightful, anything else?" Shane asked.  
  
"Yeah, pudrate, huebon." She said. Shane looked at her.  
  
"And that means?" He asked. Joey looked at him.  
  
"Screw you, dickhead." She replied. Shane didn't bother to reply. 'I'll be the bigger person and walk away.' He told himself quietly. Joey watched him leave and she went off in the other direction. She didn't know where she was going, but she wasn't staying here, or going home.  
  
))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))(((((((((((((((((((((  
  
The movie had long ended, but that didn't matter to Hunter and Summer. Their minds, or more correctly, their mouths were too busy to be watching the blank screen. Larissa sat on the stairs taking the occasional photo. 'Perfect blackmail.' She though. She snapped a few more and got bored with the couple and went back to her room.  
  
Hunter and Summer pulled away slightly and Summer put her head in between his head and shoulder and sighed softly. "Tired?" He asked. Summer nodded.  
  
"Ya I am actually. Not tired of you, but just generally tired." She replied. Hunter took her hand. "Come on, show me your room. Then you can go to bed." He told her. Summer smiled and they walked up to Summer's bedroom. Hunter walked into her room, and saw the mattress on the floor.  
  
"Have a bit of difficulty with the bed?" He chuckled softly. Summer laughed.  
  
"I happen to like it that way, thank you very much." She said. Hunter smiled and put his arms around her waist from behind.  
  
"Uh huh, sure." He whispered. Summer leaned into him and laid her head aganist his chest. Hunter nuzzled her neck gently. Summer responded with a soft sigh. "This is nice." She said softly. "Totally regretting not doing this sooner."  
  
"You mean, like the moment I walked in?" Hunter grinned. Summer smiled.  
  
"More like days ago." She said. There was a loud thunderclap outside. Summer and Hunter looked out the window, seeing it had begun to pour outside.  
  
"Whoa, that was sudden." Hunter commented. Summer turned in his arms and faced him. "It's raining." She said. "What kind of girlfriend would I be if I let you walk home in the rain?" She asked innocently.  
  
"What, you want to drive me? Come on, let me be a bit macho, the guy is supposed to drive the girl home." Hunter chuckled. Summer grinned. "Well, I guess you'll have to just stay here then." She suggested. She kissed him softly.  
  
"I thought you were tired." Hunter said.  
  
"Hmmm, I suddenly feel very energetic." She said. The two sat on her bed. Hunter reached over and gently held her hand in hers.  
  
"We're taking things slow, right?" He said. Summer looked at him. She smiled. 'Hmm, guy doesn't leap at the possibility of sex, extra point for Hunter.' She thought. "Right." She said. "So, we better keep this G rated." She grinned. She sat straddling his lap, facing him. Hunter laughed.  
  
"I think we've greatly surpassed G. This is more like PG-13." He said. Summer smiled and kissed him. Hunter attempted to hold Summer and himself up, but failed and fell over, Summer landing on top of him. They laughed hysterically. Summer wrapped her arms around Hunter's neck and smiled. Hunter smiled back. Hunter shifted so that they were laying on their sides. He looked at her.  
  
"You're beautiful." He said softly. Summer kissed him. She yawned softly. Hunter smiled. "You are tired." He said. Summer sighed.  
  
"Guilty." She said. "But, I don't want to go to sleep yet. This day has been so perfect, I don't want it to end." Hunter smiled and kissed her forehead. "Well, tomorrow will be perfect." He said.  
  
"How are you sure?" She asked.  
  
"Because being with you would make even the day of the Apocalypse perfect." He said, giving a warm loving smile. "And besides, I don't like the fact that you could just pass out at any moment now. It'd hurt my ego if I kissed you and you fell asleep." He said. Summer laughed. "OK, OK." She said. "You're staying, right?" She asked.  
  
"I don't think I can leave." He responded. Summer snuggled closer to him.  
  
"Good. Because I intend on keeping you for a while." She said softly as she drifted off to sleep.  
  
Joey walked into the house a little after midnight. She saw Larissa sitting in the living room.  
  
"What are you still doing up?" She asked softly. Larissa looked at her.  
  
"Waiting for you." She stood up. "Stay there, you're soaking." Joey sighed and went to take off her shirt. Larissa stopped her. "Don't."  
  
"What?" "Hunter's here, and before you get all crazy, I've been checking in on them, they're just sleeping, nothing naughty." Joey looked at her.  
  
"Oh." She said. She went to go to her room. Larissa stopped her.  
  
"Just 'oh'? No declaration that Summer's moving to fast? Or Hunter's just waiting to use her or something?" Larissa asked. She paused as she saw a mark on her cheek. "What happened?" She asked. Joey looked away. "I'm really tired." She muttered as she went up to her room, leaving a very puzzled Larissa.  
  
The next morning, Hunter awoke to feel the sun shining through Summer's window. He looked down to see Summer cuddled in his arms asleep. He smiled softly. He looked at his watch and sighed. His shift at Storm Chargers would be starting in an hour. He sat up. The movement stirred Summer out of sleep. She looked up to see him sitting up.  
  
"You're leaving?" She asked, pouting a bit. Hunter looked at her. He leaned over and kissed her. "I don't want to, but I've got work in an hour." He sighed. "I have to go home and change." He said. Summer sighed.  
  
"My shift isn't for another few hours." She said. "We should really think about asking Kelly to adjust our times. I kind of like the idea of working by your side." She grinned. Hunter smiled and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Sounds like a marvelous idea." He said. Summer sat up.  
  
"I'll walk you out." She said. "Hey." Summer said. Joey turned to them. Summer gasped. There was a small bruise on her cheek. "What happened?" She asked. Joey blinked and looked away.  
  
"I fell down." She whispered. Hunter looked at Joey, then at Summer.  
  
"I should go." He said. "I'll see you later." He kissed Summer's cheek and quietly left.  
  
Summer gently shut the door behind Hunter and swung around to face Joey. "What they hell happened Joey? I know that you can't just fall and get a bruise like that." Summer said angrily. Joey shook her head. "I told you I fell!" She exclaimed. Summer put her hands on her hips.  
  
"Your lying Josephine Sanchez, and your not leaving this house, or this room until you tell me what happened." Summer growled. Joey backed away slowly. Summer was angry, not a good thing. 'Might as well tell her and get it over with.' Joey's mind screamed at her. Sighing loudly in defeat, Joey told her.  
  
"Shane slapped me last night when I met him, by accident in the forest."  
  
"WHAT!?!?!?!??!!?" Summer screamed. Larissa heard Summer scream and rushed down.  
  
"What's going on?" She asked. Joey sighed, not wanting to repeat herself. Summer clenched her fist.  
  
"Shane slapped Joey." She snarled. Larissa's eyes widened. She went over to Joey and looked at her. She saw the bruise.  
  
"Oh god, it got worse." She sighed. Summer looked at her. "You knew about it?" Summer exclaimed. Larissa looked at her.  
  
"I saw a mark on her cheek, that's all." Larissa said.  
  
"Why didn't anyone tell me?" Summer said.  
  
"You were sleeping." Joey said. Summer looked at her.  
  
"Well, next time one of you comes home with even just a scratch, wake me up." She said. She went up the stairs. Larissa looked at her.  
  
"Where are you going?" She asked.  
  
"To change, track down Shane, and hurt him, badly." Summer replied, going into her room and slamming the door. Larissa looked at Joey.  
  
"Are you ok?" She asked, worriedly.  
  
"I'm going to go work on some art." Joey muttered as she went down to the basement. Larissa sighed. Summer took a shower and changed into jeans and a pink tank top she grabbed her keys from her dresser and went downstairs. Larissa, who was still in the living room, looked at her.  
  
"Want me to go with you?" She asked. Summer shook her head.  
  
"Stay with Joey." She said as she left the house.  
  
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Hunter finished ringing up someone's purchase. Blake walked up to his brother.  
  
"So, you didn't come home last night." Blake said, non-chalantly. Hunter looked at him.  
  
"Well, since it was raining, Summer asked me to stay over." He said. Blake smirked.  
  
"Yeah, I bet that's the only reason." He said. Hunter punched his brother's arm. The two laughed. The front door of the store burst open. They looked up to see Summer storming in. Hunter smiled.  
  
"Hey." He said. Summer walked over to them.  
  
"Where is he?" She asked, her voice harsh. Hunter and Blake blinked.  
  
"Uh, who?" Blake asked.  
  
"Shane, where the hell is Shane?" Summer said. Hunter and Blake looked at each other. "Uh, I guess, the skate park." Hunter said. "Why, what's wrong?" He asked, his voice filled with concerned.  
  
"Nothing's wrong...Unless you're Shane. I'm going to kill him." She said as she left the store. Hunter looked at Blake.  
  
"Cover for me." He said as he went after his girlfriend. Hunter caught up to Summer as she was about to open her car door. "Hey, what's going on?" He asked. Summer looked at him.  
  
"Hunter, I'm really not in a good mood right now, so, I suggest you not be by me right now. I'm not mad at you, but I don't want my rage to make me say something to you that I wouldn't mean." She said. Hunter looked at her. "Don't worry about me. What's going on? Does this have something to do with Joey?" He asked. Summer sighed.  
  
"Yes!" She exclaimed. "Your asshole friend hit her last night." Hunter blinked.  
  
"They fought the other day, isn't hitting like their way of communication?" He asked.  
  
"Not this time." She said. She got in her car.  
  
"I'm coming with you." Hunter said, rushing to the passenger side. Summer practicly sped to the skate park. When they arrived, she got out quickly. Hunter followed. Summer found Shane with his back to them, talking to some skater guys. She walked over to him. Hunter followed, worried about what was about to happen. Summer finally reached Shane and grabbed his shoulder, spinning him around. He looked at her and gave a friendly smile. "Summer, hey." He said. In a lightening quick movement, Summer brought her hand across his cheek, slapping him hard. The skater guys he was talking to slowly backed away, not wanting to be in the middle of this. Shane touched his cheek and looked at her.  
  
"Ow, what was that for?" He exclaimed. Summer glared at him.  
  
"Just thought you'd want to know how it felt for Joey last night." She said. Shane blinked. He sighed.  
  
"Is she OK?" He asked. Summer scoffed.  
  
"Don't even try to act concerned, asshole." "Hey, don't get mad at me, she started it."  
  
"Oh? Well what did she do?" Summer asked.  
  
"She was being a evil little thing, per usual." He said. "She made some stupid comments, so I slapped her. Then she freaked out on me, crying and everything, and when I tried to be concerned, she called me a dickhead. Your friend is a psychotic bitch." He said. Hunter looked at Shane. 'Oh, he's a dead man.' He thought. Summer looked at Shane. "You think Joey's a bitch?" She asked. She stepped closer to him, and then did something that totally took Shane and Hunter by utter and complete surprise. Summer reached her hand and grabbed his.... well...jewels...She gripped them tightly, causing Shane to cry out in pain softly. "She's nothing compared to me right now." Summer growled.  
  
"Ah! Hunter, get her off me! Get her off me!" Shane exclaimed. Hunter was too shocked to move. "Now listen, you asshole, I can do one of two things, I can let you go, and let you live your life a normal male, or I can turn you from a dickhead to a dick-less wonder in three seconds flat. Do you understand?" She growled, tightening her grip to make sure he saw she meant business.  
  
"Yes! I understand." Shane whimpered. "Good. Now, you are going to go apologize to Joey, right now. And if I hear that it wasn't sincere and nice on your part, or that you laid a finger on her, I'll make sure you will never be able to reproduce. Am I making myself clear?" She asked.  
  
"Y...Yes...Please let go." Shane pleaded. Summer released him and shoved him away, causing him to fall over. Summer walked back to her car. Hunter stared at Summer. He looked at Shane.  
  
"I suggest you go over to Joey right away, I think she meant it." Hunter said. Shane glared at him.  
  
"I kind of figured she did." Shane said, still reeling in pain. Hunter turned and went after Summer. Hunter quickened his pace to catch Summer. She climbed into the car, but left the door open. She put her head in her hands, and her elbows rested on her knees. Hunter kneeled down in front of her. "Hey." She said quietly.  
  
"Hey babe. You ok?" Hunter asked. Summer shrugged. "I've been better. I can't believe I just did that." She laughed. Hunter sobered. "Why did you do that?" He asked gently. Summer looked him dead in the face. "I did it because he hurt one of my best friends. And nobody does that and gets away with it." She told him truthfully. Hunter nodded. "Come-on. We gotta get back to work before Kel notices were gone and she throws a fit." Hunter told her climbing over her and into the passenger seat. Summer started the car. "First can we find some place that sells Liquid Nitrogen so I can burn my hand off for touching Shane's nuts? Please?" She asked, attempting to keep a straight face. Both Hunter and Summer laughed hysterically all the way back to Storm Chargers.  
  
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After Shane's lover self had recovered, he decided it was best to take Hunter's advice. He went over to Joey's house. He knocked on the door. Larissa opened it. She glared at him.  
  
"What do you want?" She said. He saw the same look in her eyes that he had seen in Summer's. He instinctively took a step back. "I need to talk to Joey." He said. "Is she here?"  
  
"Yeah." She said. Shane sighed and went to walk in, Larissa blocked his path. "But what makes you think I'd even let you take a step into this house, let alone in Joey's general direction?" She asked. Shane sighed again.  
  
"I came to apologize." He said. Larissa still didn't move. "OK, I'll tell her you said that." She said, she went to close the door. Shane stopped her.  
  
"Look, Summer just talked to me and has possibly made it so that I will never be able to have children-" He said.  
  
"Hallelujah to that. We don't need little Shane spawns in this world." Larissa said. Shane took a deep breath and continued. ". And if I don't talk to Joey, Summer's probably going to keep my balls in a little jar, now can I please come in?"  
  
"No." She said. "Larissa, I am asking nicely. Please, let me talk to Joey."  
  
"I see that you are working very hard to be polite and nice, well, I'm not. Get off our front porch, or I'll make you."  
  
"Look, you can kick my ass as much as I want, but I'm not leaving until you let me talk to Joey." Shane insisted. Larissa looked at him.  
  
"Fine." She said, stepping aside to allow him entrance. "She's downstairs in the basement. It's the door by the kitchen. Don't trip." She said, although her tone said she hoped he tripped and broke every bone in his body.  
  
"Thanks." He said as he went to towards the basement.  
  
"Oh, and Shane?" She said. Shane stopped walking. "Little jar? I'm thinking more like microscopic." Shane sighed and continued walking. Shane walked down the stairs and saw that the basement had been made into a makeshift art studio. There was a pottery wheel by one of the walls, several bottles of paints stacked on shelves and brushes scattered on a table. He saw Joey painting at an easel with her back to him. Shane stood there and watched her for a bit. He watched her as she carefully painted the details of a landscape with a thin brush that had green paint on it. He realized she was painting a picture of the woods. He stood there, observing her as she put the brush down and picked up another that had blue paint and began painting the sky. Shane didn't know what it was that made him stand there and stare at her as she painted. He just felt fascinated by her movements and how she was working so intently; she seemed to be oblivious to his presence.  
  
Joey put the brush down and reached for the green one again, accidentally knocking over a can of brown paint.  
  
"Damn." She hissed. She went to go get a rag to clean up the mess when she saw Shane. She gasped softly. Shane saw the bruise on her cheek and felt wave after wave of guilt.  
  
"Hey." He said. She looked at him. She looked down and went on with what she was doing. "What are you doing here?" She asked.  
  
"We need to talk." He said.  
  
"I think we've established that talking is impossible. When we talk, we come to blows, and I'm kind of busy right now, how about we reschedule?" She said sarcastically. Shane stepped in and observed her painting. She had done an outline of the trees and logs and the brick stove in light pencil. About half of the grass and parts of the trees, logs and stove where painted.  
  
"Wow, that's really good." He said. Joey stood up from wiping up the paint on the floor and looked at him.  
  
"Thanks. You can leave now." She said. She said, turning back to her painting. Shane looked at her.  
  
"I came to apologize." He said. Joey sighed and turned to look at him.  
  
"Which is it?" She asked.  
  
"Which what is what?" Shane asked.  
  
"What is your reason for apologizing? Is it a. Summer threatened to castrate you if you didn't, b. You felt incredibly guilty for hitting a poor defenseless little girl, c. You've develop a strong undying passionate love for me, and think this will get you in my good graces, d. all of the above?" She asked, smirking at the mention of c.  
  
Shane gave a frustrated groan.  
  
"You know, I'm trying to apologize for last night, the least you could do is-" "Accept?" She asked. "I'm sorry, but for me to accept your apology, that would have to mean I actually give a flying fuck about what you do or say. And, I don't. Frankly I could care less if you went to some cliff and plummeted to your death." She said. She smiled. "Actually, could you do that? Rid the world of one fucking huebon." She said. Shane blinked, actually hurt by her words. "Oh, I've offended you again." She said. "Want to slap me again?" She turned her head, presenting her unbrusied cheek to him. "Do it here, make it even." She said. Shane looked down. "I'm sorry." He said softly. He looked at her. "I'm sorry that apparently something major happened in your life to make you act so cold hearted and uncaring." He said. Joey looked at him. She stepped closer to him.  
  
"Oh, so, because I don't want to listen to your obviously forced apologies, I'm cold hearted and uncaring?" She asked. "No." He said. "It's because you spend so much energy pretending you don't care, but you do." He said.  
  
"What makes you think I care?" She asked.  
  
"Because you were crying last night." He said. "You're scared. Of what, I don't know, but it's something. And whatever it is, it effects you so much that you put up this facade of hating everyone and everything around you, just so no one can enter your little dome of emotions, because then, you just might run the risk of getting hurt." Joey looked at him. She looked away and blinked a few times. "Looks like I'm right." He said. "Is it safe to assume that since your anger seems to be geared towards myself and other males, that whatever it is that happened to you, involves a guy?" He asked. Joey went back to her painting. "Silence, so that's a yes." He said. He walked over to the table that stood between him and Joey. "So, what was it? Unfaithful or abusive boyfriend?" He asked. Joey didn't respond. "Deadbeat dad?" He asked. Joey seemed to flinch slightly at that. Shane noticed it. "Another right one for the Shane-ster." He muttered dryly. "Shane, I think you should leave." She said softly.  
  
"No." He said. "I think this is the longest conversation we've had without coming to blows. I think I want to see how long it goes." He said. He leaned against the table. "You're mad that I've figured you out." He stated. Joey sighed and spun around to face him.  
  
"No, I'm mad because you are fucking annoying and won't leave me alone." She growled. Shane looked at her.  
  
"I'm not going to let you shove me out." He said.  
  
"Shove is so tame. I was thinking more along the lines of hurling you out a window of a tall tall building." She replied. Shane chuckled.  
  
"Funny." He said.  
  
"So glad I've provided your daily amusement." Joey said. Shane cast his eyes over at the painting; he then saw some other paintings and pieces of art around the room.  
  
"You're a really good artist." He commented. He walked over to a drawing lying on a separate table. It was a pencil sketch of a woman sitting, looking pensive. He picked it up. Joey went over.  
  
"Put that down." She ordered. Shane examined the drawing. The woman looked a lot like Joey.  
  
"This your mom?" He asked.  
  
"Yes, now put it down." Joey said. She tried to take it from him. Shane moved it out of her reach. Joey stopped, afraid that in her attempts of snatching it, she might rip it. She looked at Shane. "Please." She said softly. Shane looked at her. He handed the drawing to her. Joey carefully took it and gently laid it back on the table. "It's a beautiful drawing" Shane told her. Joey smiled softly. "Thanks. It's all I have left of her..." Joey replied. Shane looked puzzled. "What happened?" He asked.  
  
"I don't want to talk about it." She told him. Shane decided to leave that for another time. He looked at her.  
  
"You're beautiful when you're not scowling." He said. Joey looked at him so sharply she could've gotten whiplash.  
  
"Excuse me?" She asked.  
  
"Just now, you smiled, you looked beautiful. You should try it more often." He said. Joey looked away to hide her blush as she nervously tucked her hair behind her ear.  
  
"You're such a horrible liar." She said. "I'm not lying." He told her. "It's the truth. If you'd stop scowling long enough, maybe you'd see it too."  
  
Joey glared at him. "I'm not beautiful, I'm not pretty. I'm Joey fucking Sanchez, and I suggest you leave before I kick your ass 6 ways from Sunday." She growled. Shane back ed away slowly. "Fine. But you are very pretty Joey. See ya later." He called practically running from the house. Joey fell into a nearby chair. "Why me? Why me?" She asked out loud.  
  
Larissa saw Shane come up the stairs. She looked at him.  
  
"No limping, no blood or wounds." She said. "And can I expect that the same can be said about Joey?" She asked. Shane looked at her. "We just talked." He said. He went to the door. "See ya." He said as he left. Larissa sighed. She went to sit back down, then thought better of it and went downstairs. She saw Joey sitting in a chair.  
  
"Did he say do anything? Cause if he did, Summer and I will kill him." She said. Joey looked at her. "No...He just wanted to apologize. Which he did." Joey replied. Something was different about the way Joey had replied to Larissa's question...normally she would curse up a storm about guys...but today she didn't Larissa shrugged it off. "You ok?" She asked Joey, who nodded silently. "Ok well I'll be upstairs, I'll be there if you want to talk." She told Joey, who just nodded silently again. Larissa walked up the stairs, shaking her head.  
  
Shane walked away from the house. He was kind of surprised at the turn of events. He came into the house feeling nothing but dislike for Joey. In the course of their conversation, he had managed to leave that and feel something else...Something he hadn't felt since...Skyla. Shane stopped in his tracks. 'I like her? No, no way, of course not...Even if I did say she was beautiful...Well she is...Aw shit'. "Why me? Why me?" He said aloud.  
  
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Summer rang another few customers in at the register. Smiling gently when the last customer left. She lifted herself up onto the counter and leaned against the wall. She was tired again. She figured she and Hunter would be doing something tonight. Maybe he could help her set up her room. Heck maybe she'd ask Hunter for a nice back massage.  
  
Hunter walked out of the backroom and saw Summer leaning against one of the pillars, eyes closed. She looked so peaceful while she was sleeping. Hunter walked over to her. He stood against the counter, gazing at her, when suddenly his communicator went off. Hunter looked at it, and cursed the damn contraption for distrusting his thoughts. The sound stirred Summer awake. She looked at him and blinked.  
  
"Hey." She said, smiling softly. Hunter looked at her and gave her a smile.  
  
"Hey." Summer saw a perturbed look on his face. "Something wrong?" She asked. Hunter sighed.  
  
"I've actually have to go somewhere, really quick. I'll be right back, I promise." He said. Summer eyed him suspiciously.  
  
"Mysterious outings? You wouldn't happen to have another girlfriend, would you Mr. Hunter Bradley?" She asked. Hunter gently pulled her close to him and gave her a hot passionate kiss. Once they parted, Summer was still recovering from it. Hunter smiled.  
  
"I'll be back soon." He said, climbing over the counter and heading out the door. Summer looked at him. "You didn't answer my question." She said. Hunter turned to look at her.  
  
"I'll see you later." He said as he disappeared out the door. Summer smiled.  
  
Blake was with Tori. They needed to talk about their kisses from yesterday. It had happened so fast and it was sort of left up in the air.  
  
"So, about yester-" Blake began to say when his communicator went off. 'Damn.' He thought. "We better go." Tori said. Blake nodded. They headed to Ninja Opts. 'Cam, if this is another glitch, I swear on all that is holy, I will kill you.' Blake thought.  
  
Shane was standing in the middle of the road when his communicator went off. Growling at it he looked around and streaked as fast as he could to Ninja Ops.  
  
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Dustin, Hunter and Shane arrived at the same time and walked in together, about two minutes later Blake and Tori walked in together. The assembled around the computer where Cam and Sensei were. "Rangers we have a problem" Sensei began. "It seems there's a monster attacking in the forest not far from here. You'll need to stop it before it reaches the city." The rangers nodded.  
  
Shane looked at the other two Wind Rangers, Thunder Rangers and Cam, The Samurai Ranger, who all nodded back at him. "Ready?" He asked. "Ready!" They all replied.  
  
Ninja Storm,  
  
Thunder Storm,  
  
Samurai Storm,  
  
Ranger Form, HA!"  
  
They all appeared in the forest and saw Motodrone, Vexacus, Shimazu and a monster that looked like a huge teddy bear. Shane growled lowly at Vexacus  
  
"You." He said. "I thought I chased you back to your mommy." He said. Vexacus stepped up.  
  
"It is good to see you too, red ranger. I will enjoy destroying you, and taking the Karminion power from you." "Don't think so." He said. Motodrone eyed Hunter.  
  
"We meet again, Crimson ranger." He said, chuckling.  
  
"I'll take Mr. Fish head." Shane said, and before anyone could say anything, he and Vexacus went off and fought alone. Motodrone and Hunter did the same.  
  
"Guess that leaves Shimazu and fuzzy wuzzy to us." Tori said. "I have no interest in fighting you children." Shimazu said. "I seek a worthy opponent." He looked at Cam.  
  
"I'll take care of him." Cam said as he went to fight Shimazu.  
  
Tori, Dustin and Blake began to circle the "teddy-bear monster" as they had dubbed it. "Can't they ever come up with 'good looking' monsters?" Whined Tori. The teddy bear made a grab for her, but got a handful of air instead. Tori cackled madly, but wasn't as lucky the next time. The monster grabbed at her again and chucked her across the forest. She bounced a few times and landed awkwardly, not moving. "Tori!" Blake cried. Two girls, dressed in black and orange uniforms appeared beside Tori and lifted her up, carrying her away. The monster stumbled to reveal a girl dressed in a pink uniform similar to Blake and Hunter's. "Hullo." She chorused while kicking some serious monster ass. The guys just stared at her.  
  
"Is that.." Dustin began.  
  
"Another thunder ranger." Blake said.  
  
"You never told us there were three of you." Dustin said, looking at him.  
  
"I've never seen her in my life." Blake said.  
  
"How about a hug?" The monster said, coming toward the pink ranger. The Black ranger streaked over. Her uniform was black with silver flames dancing along her legs and arms.  
  
"How 'bout you take a big sleep." She said as she kicked it in the head. "Ouch my head." Moaned the teddy bear. The ranger dressed in orange came streaking over and managed to trip the monster, her uniform was similar to Cam's but instead of being green, it was orange. Her Armour was silver and gold and looked flashy. The girls took out their weapons and blasted the crap outta the monster, destroying it. The girls high fived each other.  
  
Blake looked at the three rangers. The orange one turned to him.  
  
"Your friend's all right by the way." She said.  
  
"We just thought it was best we moved her out of the line of fire." The black one added. Blake turned to see Tori slumped over by a tree. He quickly went over to her. Cam, Hunter and Shane arrived. "Shimazu, Motodrone and Vexacus went away." Cam said. He stopped as he saw the three rangers. "Uh..." Shane and Hunter looked at each other.  
  
"You know 'em?" Hunter asked.  
  
"No, you?"  
  
"Uh uh." "Uh...who are you?" Hunter asked. The girl in pink stepped forwards. "I'm the Pink Thunder Ranger, the girl in orange is the Orange Lightning Ranger, and the girl in Black is the Black Fire Ranger." "What are your real names?" Shane asked. The Black Ranger stepped up.  
  
"Now, why would we want to go and tell our secret identities?" She asked coyly.  
  
"You tell us yours, we'll tell you ours." Shane said. The Black Ranger laughed softly. "Well, where's the fun in that? Don't you know it's a woman's job to be mysterious?" She responded, somewhat flirtatiously. Shane stared at her. She put her weapon into her holster. "Let's go girls." She said. The orange ranger looked at Blake, who was carrying the unconscious Tori. "Hope your friend's OK." She said. And with that, she streaked away.  
  
"See ya." The Pink Ranger said as she too streaked away.  
  
"Yeah, see ya, Big Red." The Black Ranger said to Shane as she streaked away. 


	9. After hours attack

After the encounter with the new rangers, the others where filled with questions and wanted to talk to sensei. Hunter remembered he left Summer back at the store and knew he would have to go to her first, so she didn't get suspicious.  
  
Hunter streaked back to Storm Chargers as fast as he could. He flung the door open and saw Summer standing behind the counter, looking very happy. Hunter approached and stopped about 4 feet away from where Summer and a man were conversing.  
  
"I'd love that!" She exclaimed. The man smiled and handed her a card. She nodded. "All right, thanks Mr. Johnson. I'll let ya know!" The man smiled, shook her hand again and left. Hunter walked over to Summer. Summer looked at him. "Hey." She said. Hunter looked at her.  
  
"Who was that?" He asked.  
  
"Oh, that's Hank Johnson, he's like this major bigwig with water sports, and he saw me wake boarding the other day and asked if I'd like him to sponsor me in competitions and such." She smiled. She tucked the card in her jeans. She looked at him. "So, is everything OK?" She asked. Hunter nodded.  
  
"Yeah........Just had to..........Run home.........And tell Blake something........" He said. Summer laughed softly.  
  
"Ever heard of a phone?" She asked. Hunter laughed sheepishly.  
  
"Yah well...uhh..." Hunter tried to explain. Summer giggled.  
  
"It's ok Hunter. Just make sure it doesn't become a habit." She joked poking Hunter in the chest. Hunter smiled.  
  
"When's your shift over?" He asked. Summer looked at the clock.  
  
"I have to learn how to close...Dustin's teaching me." She told him. Hunter nodded.  
  
"My shift is finished now, so we going to do something tonight?" He asked. Summer nodded.  
  
"Sure, but you'll have to make the plans cause I don't get outta here till 8:30pm" She replied. Hunter played with her fingers.  
  
"Ok, I'll make the plans, meet you at your house at 9ish? And then we'll go. Ok?" He asked. Summer smiled and nodded. She leaned over the counter and kissed him.  
  
"OK, I'll see you then." He said as he left and headed to Ninja Opts.  
  
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"OK, Blake and Hunter showing up was freaky enough as it was-" Dustin said, Blake smacked his arm.  
  
"Thanks, man." He muttered. Dustin sighed and continued.  
  
"And then Cam becoming a ranger was just...well, ok, it was pretty sick, bro." He laughed, looking at Cam. "But now these new girls? What's the deal?"  
  
"I recognized the styles of the orange and black rangers." Sensei said. "It belongs to the Lightening Fire Ninja Academy." Cam looked at him.  
  
"Lightening Fire Academy? I don't remember hearing about it." He said. Sensei nodded.  
  
"It is not known by many. It was owned by two female Sensei's. It was made for females who wanted to learn the ninja way."  
  
"Wind Academy's the only co-ed place." Cam said.  
  
"But what about the pink one?" Blake asked. "She was just like me and Hunter. And there weren't any girls there." He smirked. "Younger years would've been much more interesting if that was the case though." Dustin laughed and gave him a high five. Tori glared at him. Blake quickly stopped laughing. Hunter, noticing the tension between Tori and Blake quickly stepped in.  
  
"Blake and I knew everyone at the Thunder Academy. There wasn't anyone there that was studying under the color of pink." He told everyone. Blake looked at him.  
  
"Well, what about that guy? The one that never showed his face?" Blake quirred. Hunter rolled his eyes.  
  
"Only a guy that's really comfortable with his sexualality would wear pink...and we were only kids." Hunter replied. Everyone laughed.  
  
"Hey, I wouldn't be caught dead in pink." Tori said, shuddering a bit. They all laughed.  
  
"We should be careful, though. They might be working on Lothor's side." Shane said.  
  
"You really think he'd try that one again?" Blake asked. Shane shrugged.  
  
"But, they did help us." Dustin said.  
  
"We don't know who they are, we don't know anything about them." Shane pointed out. Tori smirked and looked at Shane.  
  
"You're just being cautious because the one in black flirted with you." She said. Dustin, Hunter, Cam and Blake laughed.  
  
"Oooooo, Shane's got a girlfriend." Dustin joked. Shane glared at him.  
  
"She was not flirting with me." Shane said.  
  
"Sure, whatever you say, 'Big Red'." Cam said, laughing.  
  
"Shut up." Shane said. Hunter laughed and stood up.  
  
"Well, I've got to go." He said.  
  
"Seeing Summer again?" Tori asked innocently. Hunter looked at her.  
  
"Well, yes." He said.  
  
"Well, if you intend on spending the night again, call." Blake smirked. That got everyone's attention.  
  
"You spent the night?" Dustin asked. Sensei decided he didn't want to hear this and quietly left the rangers.  
  
"Uh....sorta....nothing happened..." Hunter attempted to explain.  
  
"Dude...you don't spend the night at a girl's house and not do anything." Dustin laughed.  
  
"Yah man...you have to get some sort of...action." Shane said, thrusting his hips outward. Tori made a disgusted face.  
  
"So is that all girls are good for Shane? A little "action"?" She growled. Shane who was still laughing nodded.  
  
"Totally!" He told her. Tori's face darkened. "That's disgusting Shane...Women are not here to be used as little fuck toys." Tori turned on her heal and stormed out of Ninja Ops.  
  
Blake and Hunter glared at Shane. Hunter walked over to him.  
  
"You better pray that I don't tell Summer you said that, wouldn't want her to come talk to you again, would you?" He said. And with that he left. Blake left as well, except his destination was to find Tori. Cam looked at Dustin and Shane.  
  
"Very mature guys." He sighed. Dustin and Shane sighed and left Ninja Opts.  
  
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Blake found Tori at the edge of the woods outside of Opts. She had her back to him. He went over to her and put a hand on her shoulder.  
  
"You OK?" He asked. Tori looked at him. "You know Shane was just trying to be...something.not sure what, but I know offensive wasn't it."  
  
"Yeah..I guess it just gets really annoying..Being the only female in the bunch." She sighed.  
  
"Well...you have Summer and Larissa." He told her. Tori turned around.  
  
"They aren't rangers Blake..." She replied.  
  
"True." Blake nodded. "But, they are our friends."  
  
"I know. Really, and I'm glad about that. But, it's not the same. I mean, first of all, what kind of friendship is it if I can't be totally open with them about stuff? You know, can't explain possible sudden disappearances and such? And also, maybe you guys don't realize this, but with training, meditating, and battling, the six of us spend a huge chunk of time together." She said. Blake looked at her.  
  
"I guess your right, it's not the same with us. I mean, us guys can be totally candid with each other about the whole deal. Girls, ranger stuff, everything." He said. "And you don't have that. I'm sorry if you've felt like you've been getting jiped or something." He said. Tori smiled.  
  
"It's OK." She said. "Next time Shane makes a stupid comment like that, I'll just slice out his tongue." She joked.  
  
"There ya go!" Blake laughed.  
  
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"...Ok thank you. Yes goodbye." Hunter hung up the phone and rubbed his hands over his face. Picking up the phone again he dialed Storm Chargers.  
  
"Hello?" A perky female voice answered.  
  
"Hey Kel! Is Summer there?" Hunter asked.  
  
"Lemme see if she's still here." Kelly replied. Kelly walked into the break room.  
  
"Summer, telephone." She said. Summer walked out of the break room. "Hello?" She asked.  
  
"Hey! I just have a tidbit of information for you regarding what were doing tonight." Hunter told her.  
  
"Ok? " She asked.  
  
"I need you to wear something "fancy" like a dress, or a suit or something "fancy/elegant" Hunter said.  
  
"Ok...why?" She replied. Hunter chuckled  
  
"If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise." He said. Summer sighed.  
  
"All right, but if I get all dress only to see this was some joke and we're going to like Burger King or something, you are so dead." She joked. Hunter chuckled.  
  
"I'll pick you up at your place, ok?" He said.  
  
"Can't wait." She smiled.  
  
"Same here." He said. Summer's face broke out into a full out lovesick smile.  
  
"I l.." She paused, shocked at what she was about to say. She cleared her throat. "I'll see you then." She said.  
  
"All right." He replied as they hung up. Summer blinked a few times.  
  
"Oh god," she muttered to herself. "I did not just almost say what I think I did...did I?" She said.  
  
"Whhatt did you all most ssay prretyy gurrl?" A drunken customer asked. Summer backed away cautiously.  
  
"None of your business freak!" She replied. The customers face darkened and he leapt over the counter. Summer screamed loudly. "Get away from me!" The "customer" changed from its human form to Zurgane. Summer backed herself up against the wall. "What do you want ugly?" She growled.  
  
Zurgane looked at her.  
  
"Now is that any way for a lady to speak?" He asked making a grab for her. She dove to the right and rolled. She jumped up.  
  
"I ain't no lady. I'm gonna kick your ass buddy."  
  
"What's going on he-" Came Kelly's voice from the break room. Summer jumped over the counter and ran to the door, placing a chair under the doorknob of the door, keeping it shut. She heard Kelly turning the knob. "Hey!" She yelled. "What's going on?"  
  
"Uh, I dunno, Kelly." Summer said. "The door must be stuck, I'll try and get it open, don't worry." She said.  
  
"You're the one who has to worry, little lady." Zurgane said.  
  
"Christ....I'm not a little lad-WOA!" Summer yelled as Zurgane blasted the area right in front of her. 'Shit shit shit. Where the hell is Dustin?' Her mind screamed as she tried to make her way out of the smokey area. She didn't get far when a metal hand grabbed the back of her shirt and jeans the lifted upwards. Summer began screaming at the top of her lungs.  
  
"Get off me!" She screamed.  
  
"Summer?! Summer what's going on out there?!" Kelly yelled from the break room. She thought there was some kind of thief or something out there.  
  
Dustin, who was working on a bike in the backroom, heard the commotion and stood up, going to the door. He peaked out and gasped when he saw Zurgane holding Summer. Dustin quickly turned back into the room. He had to help Summer.  
  
"Ninja storm, ranger form." He whispered. He quickly morphed into his uniform and streaked out the backdoor, only to come around and burst through the front door. Zurgane looked up and saw him.  
  
"Ahh, yellow ranger, so good to see you." He said.  
  
"Let her go, metal man." Dustin growled, holding out his sword.  
  
"And if I don't?" Zurgane retorted. Dustin growled.  
  
"I'll kick your ass dude." Zurgane laughed.  
  
"You won't hurt me as long as your friends in the way." Zurgane replied holding Summer by the neck in front of him. Dustin couldn't do anything. Summer looked at Dustin. "Put down your weapon, or I will snap her little neck." Zurgane said. Dustin growled.  
  
"Don't." She said. "Don't listen to him." Dustin's eyes widened a bit. Was she actually sacrificing herself? 'Whoa.' He thought. Dustin sighed and put his sword down. Zurgane laughed.  
  
"Very good." He said.  
  
"What do you want with her?" Dustin growled lowly. Zurgane seemed to shrug.  
  
"Nothing really, just bored." He replied, laughing.  
  
"Bored now?" Summer growled as she slammed her foot on Zurgane's foot. Zurgane howled in pain. She spun around and kicked him in the gut. Zurgane released her. Summer rolled away from him. Dustin quickly picked up his sword and held it.  
  
"Get back." Dustin ordered. Summer looked at him. She scrambled to her feet and got behind Dustin. "Ninja Sword! Gold Mode!" Dustin called out. Dustin chased Zurgane and stupidly, Summer followed. Zurgane saw that Summer had followed them and when he had shoved Dustin out of the way, he fired a blast at Summer. "Summer! Watch out!" Dustin cried. But it was too late. The blast exploded on the ground in front of Summer sending her flying. She slammed into one of the wooden pillars and slumped to the ground unconscious and bleeding. Dustin growled.  
  
"You're going to pay for that!" He threatened Zurgane.  
  
"Perhaps later." Zurgane said as he vanished. Dustin went to go to Summer when Kelly was finally able to bust the door open with her shoulder. She saw Dustin.  
  
"Yellow ranger." She gasped. She then saw Summer. "Oh my god!" Kelly rushed over to her. Dustin streaked out the front of the store. He then demorphed and went back through the back door, just in time to hear Kelly yelling. "Dustin!" Dustin came running.  
  
"What's wrong?" He asked, trying to rush to help Summer.  
  
"It's Summer. Whatever it was attacked her. We need to get her inside." Kelly cried. Dustin nodded. He picked Summer's unconscious body up and carried her inside. Hunter was not going to be happy about this one bit. "Didn't you hear what was going on?" Kelly asked. Dustin looked at her. He shook his head.  
  
"I, uh, had my headphones on." He said. Kelly sighed. She grabbed a nearby hand towel and wiped at the blood leaking from Summer's mouth and nose, which must have started to bleed from her impact to the pillar. Summer groaned. Her eyes opened.  
  
"Oh, thank god you're OK." Kelly gasped. Summer tried to sit up. Dustin stopped her.  
  
"Don't. Just lie here for a bit." He said softly. Summer looked at him.  
  
"Hunter..I've got a date with Hunter tonight...Have to go get ready." She said. Dustin put a hand on her shoulder.  
  
"It's OK, we'll call him." He said. "Just relax. You were pretty beat up."  
  
"No....don't call him...I'll be fine...just give me a few minutes" Summer told him. Dustin, who was already on the phone, shook his head.  
  
"NO, you're not going anywhere, unless Hunter's here to take you." He told her. Summer sighed loudly and continued to lie on the counter. Dustin sighed and dialed Hunter's number. He let it ring and waited for Hunter to pick up.  
  
"Hello?" Hunter said. Dustin looked over to Kelly and Summer. Kelly was busy trying to make Summer a bit comfortable. Dustin held the cordless phone in his hand and walked out of the room.  
  
"Hunter, it's me." He said.  
  
"Dustin? Hey man, listen, I really can't talk right now, got to go get ready for-"  
  
"Your date with Summer, I know." Dustin sighed. "It can't happen."  
  
"What? Kelly keeping her late?" Hunter groaned. "Can you tell Kelly I made reservations at that really good restaurant downtown? But don't tell Summer, it's a sur-"  
  
"Hunter, Summer's hurt." Dustin said, cutting him off.  
  
"What?" Hunter asked, his voice filled with worry and fear. Dustin sighed.  
  
"Our friendly armored Lothor lapdog showed up, and she got hurt." Dustin whispered.  
  
"Zurgane." Hunter growled. "I'll be right there." He said. He slammed down the phone.  
  
Dustin sighed and hung up. He picked it up again and called Summer's house.  
  
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Hunter did all he could to keep himself from streaking to the store. He knew Kelly and Summer would get suspicious about him getting there so fast, so he had to just settle for running, very fast.  
  
He finally got to the store and rushed in to find Dustin standing there.  
  
"Where is she?" Hunter asked.  
  
"In the back-" Dustin began, Hunter ran past him. "-Room."  
  
Summer looked up as Hunter rushed in.  
  
"Hunter." She said softly. Hunter went to her side.  
  
"Oh god, are you all right?" He asked, taking her hand in hers gently. Summer nodded.  
  
"Yeah." She said. "I'll be fine."  
  
"God, imagine what could've happened if the yellow ranger wasn't here." Kelly commented. Hunter looked over at Dustin and then back at Summer and Kelly.  
  
"Yeah. Good thing we've got the Power Rangers in this town." He said softly. The front door opened as Joey and Larissa rushed in.  
  
"Where is she?" Kelly, Hunter and Summer could hear Joey demand. Joey and Larissa went to the backroom and saw Summer.  
  
"Oh, man." Larissa whispered. Joey's eyes darkened. She looked at Summer.  
  
"Let's go." She said. She went over to Summer and helped her get off the counter.  
  
"Let me help-" Hunter said.  
  
"Hunter, just leave us alone." Joey snarled. Hunter stepped back a bit. Joey looked at Larissa. "Help me get her to the car." She said as she pulled one of Summer's arms over her shoulder. Larissa did the same with Summer's other arm. The two helped Summer out the door. Summer looked at Hunter.  
  
"I'll call you later." She said softly. Hunter groaned and went up to Joey.  
  
"Look, I know you don't like me, and that's fine. But when it comes to Summer, I will not, I repeat, will not, just leave you all alone. She's my girlfriend, I'm her boyfriend, she's hurt, and I'm not just going to leave and act like all is fine!" He said to Joey. Joey glared at him. Summer sighed. Larissa looked at them both.  
  
"Joey." She said sharply. "Let him help. Does it really matter? Let's just get Summer home so she can rest." Joey looked at her. She gave a low frustrated groan.  
  
"Fine." She said. Hunter went and gently took Summer from them. He carefully lifted her in his arms. Summer put her arms around his neck. The four of them left the store. They walked out to Joey's car. Joey and Larissa sat in the front. Hunter gently put Summer in the back and shut the door. Joey was tempted to roar off as he went to the other side of the backseat, but Larissa, who knew what she was thinking, grabbed her hand that held the ignition key.  
  
"Don't even." She warned lowly. Joey sighed. Hunter got in. Summer scooted closer to him. Hunter put his arms around her and held her closely as Joey started the car and left Storm Chargers. As they were driving, well speeding down the highway Summer coughed a few times, her hand over her mouth, and she discovered that there was blood on her hand. Hunter checked her mouth gently and was satisfied that the blood was from her bloody lip and nose.  
  
When they arrived at Joey, Larissa and Summer's house, Hunter gently lifted Summer out of the SUV again and carried her inside and up to her room. Joey shut the door behind them and glared at Hunter's back. Larissa looked at her.  
  
"Stop. Summer's hurt, let's just be glad she'll be OK and not spend time fussing over Hunter, all right?" She asked. Joey looked at her.  
  
"I'm going to go out, since it's most likely Hunter won't be leaving tonight." She said as she left the house. Larissa groaned. She went to the kitchen and got a glass of water. She went up to Summer's room. On her way there, she stopped in the kitchen and grabbed two aspirins from the medicine cabinet. She went to Summer's room and found Hunter and Summer lying in Summer's bed. Hunter was holding Summer to him protectively. Larissa walked in.  
  
"Hey." She said. Summer looked up.  
  
"Hey." She replied.  
  
"Here, I brought you some aspirin, in case you're in extreme pain." Larissa smiled. Summer returned the smile and sat up weakly. Hunter sat up and held her up so she wouldn't exert too much energy. Summer took the pills and water from Larissa and swallowed the pills. She drank the water and handed the glass back to Larissa.  
  
"Thanks Larissa." Summer told her. Larissa nodded.  
  
"Joey's uh, going out for the evening because Hunter's here." Larissa told them. Summer sighed.  
  
"Maybe I should go..." Hunter began.  
  
"No! You're staying." Summer exclaimed. Hunter looked at her. He wasn't about to do anything she didn't want him to, so he nodded.  
  
"Right, well, I'll be in my room if you guys need anything." Larissa said as she left them alone. Hunter settled back into the bed with Summer in his arms. She lay against his chest with her arms around him. Hunter had one arm around her shoulders and his other hand gently stroked her hair and face.  
  
"Are you all right?" He asked softly. Summer nodded softly.  
  
"Mmmhmm." She said. Hunter kissed her forehead gently.  
  
"I wish I was there with you." He said. Summer smiled at him.  
  
"It's OK. I mean, like Kelly said, it's a good thing that ranger was there." She said. Hunter nodded.  
  
"Yeah." He said.  
  
"I'm sorry our date didn't happen." She said.  
  
"Don't be. It's not your fault. I'm just glad you're OK." He said. Summer tightened her arms around him.  
  
"As long as you're with me, I'm incredibly OK." She sighed as sleep overtook her. Hunter watched silently as Summer slept. She looked like an angel. He felt so bad he couldn't tell her that he was a ranger. Sighing softly he closed his eyes and fell into a deep slumber. 


	10. Love, slaps and shopping

A/N: This chapter has some language.just to warn you.and it gets * cough * violent.you've been warned  
  
Chapter 10: Love, slaps and shopping  
  
Joey walked around. She ended up in the woods again. She was so angry. Angry that Summer got hurt, angry that Hunter just had to come along with them. Angry that she wouldn't be able to talk to Summer about what happened to get the full story of what happened. She was pretty sure she knew what did happen already though. She came to a tree and sat down, reminiscing the day everything went to hell.  
  
~Joey, Summer and Larissa were in the courtyard of there home, the academy. Joey was painting a portrait of her two best friends when she heard hushed voices. She looked over and saw her mom and Larissa's mom talking. "Something wrong?" Larissa asked from her sitting pose by the tree. Joey looked at her and shook her head. "Our moms are talking." She said. Larissa looked over, as did Summer. "Must be something major." Summer commented. She looked at Larissa. "You're the psychic, read their minds." She joked. Larissa laughed and rolled her eyes. "I'm not the psychic, mom is. Besides, it's premonitions, not mind reading." She said. "Oh, well, then what purpose do you serve?" Joey joked. "Ha ha, very funny." Larissa said. Summer laughed. "Josephina." Came the voice of Joey's mother as she and Larissa's mom walked over. Joey put down her paint and looked up. "Si mama?" She asked. "Come here with me, I need to give you something." She said. Joey looked at her, puzzled. "Mama, can't it wait? I'm painting Summer and Larissa." She said. Her mother looked at her sharply. "Ahorita." She stated. Joey stood up. "Ay voy." She sighed. She looked at her friends. "We'll finish this later." She said as she followed her mother as she went into the academy temple. Her mother went to the back of the temple where the tech base was located; it was usually Larissa's domain. She pulled out a disc and a box, handing it to Joey. "Que es esto?" Joey asked. "Mija," her mother said softly. "Something bad is going to happen, and these things are important." "Bad? How bad?" Joey asked. Her mother dawned a pained expression. "Bad." She said. "Well, what is it?" Joey asked. She went to open the box. Her mother stopped her. "It will help you. Do not open it yet." She said. "Pero.... Mama, si nos puede ayudar, I have to open it now." Joey said. ((AN: Translation: But mom, if it can help us...)) "Deja lo." Her mother ordered softly. ((AN: Leave it.)) Joey could do nothing but nod. ~ Tears came to Joey's eyes as she remembered her mother. She sighed and leaned her head against the tree. The box had contained the Fire morpher, the Lightening morpher, and the Thunder morpher. The disc was a message from her and Larissa's moms telling them what the morphers where, how to use them, explain what had just happened, and other information.  
  
~After her mother gave her the box and the disc, Joey hid them in her room, not sure what else there was she could do. She didn't tell Summer or Larissa. She just went back out to the courtyard. A little while later, the ground shook. "What's happening?" Larissa exclaimed. "It's happening." She said. Joey's mother looked at the three young girls. "Come." She said. And with that, they grabbed Summer, Larissa and Joey, pulling them toward the academy's storm shelter. "What's going on?" Summer asked. Joey turned her head and saw a woman with pink hair, another with brown, a man with a mask on his face dressed in some sort of royal attire or something, and two weird looking aliens. Joey gasped as some of the academy students began to fight. "Mama!" Joey exclaimed. "I know, keep going!" She ordered. The five of them ran into the storm shelter. "Stay here, you will be safe." Larissa's mother said. She and Joey's mom went to leave. "What? Where are you going?!" Joey exclaimed. She grabbed her mother's hand. Her mother hugged her and kissed her cheek. Larissa looked at her mom. "Mom, what's going on?" She asked. Her mother went to her and stroked her cheek. "Stay put." She whispered.  
  
"Stay put." She whispered. Joey's mom let Joey go. "Taheaira, let's go." She said. Larissa's mom nodded. The two left. They shut the door, locking it behind them.  
Joey slammed her shoulder against the door. She ignored the intense pain shooting down her arm and kept going. The three girls could hear screams and fighting going on from outside. "Hurry up!" Summer yelled. "I'm trying!" Joey replied. "How about a little help!" Summer and Larissa ran over. Joey stepped back. "Count of 3." Larissa said. "1." Summer said. "2." Larissa said. "3!" Joey called out. The three pushed at the door together, it finally gave way and opened. The girls fell out of the room. They scrambled to their feet, that's when they realized the screams had begun to lessen. "I don't like the sound of that." Summer said. "You think their...Dead?" Larissa said, tears in her eyes at the thought of her mom being dead. The screams were now non-existent. "Let's go." Joey said. The three of them ran to the edge of the temple doors. They saw Larissa's mom, Taheaira, fighting off the two women who had appeared before. Joey searched around the area. All the other students were gone. She then saw the man with the mask, approaching her mother, Carmen. "Carmen," he said softly. "So good to see you again." He sneered. Carmen stood in a fighting stance. "Too bad I can't say the same for you, Lothor." She replied. "AH!" Someone yelled. The girls turned to see some large bubble incase Taheaira. "Mo..mmmph!" Larissa tried to scream, Summer put her hand over her mouth. The girl's watched in horror as the bubble disappeared in the sky. "What the hell is going on...."? Joey said softly. She looked over to her mom, who was fighting the man. She delivered a kicked to his gut. He staggered back. He growled and ran to her. He smacked her with the back of his hand, hard, sending her to the ground. Joey growled and went to help her, Summer grabbed her arm and pulled her back. Then, another bubble incased Carmen. "No." Joey gasped. The bubble disappeared as well. The man laughed and looked at his comrades. "We'll, all is done here, let's go." He said. "Coming uncle!" The two women said gleefully. ~ Joey blinked, trying to hold in her tears, but she couldn't. After her and Larissa's moms, the students, and those goons disappeared, the three girls ran around the base, trying to find anyone else, but they realized it was only them. They were scared, confused, angry and sad for a while, then Joey remembered the box and the case. She brought it to the other two. Larissa played the disc for them on the computer, and they then had all their answers.  
The man who attacked them was Lothor. The two women, Kapri and Marah. The aliens, Chooboo and Zurgane.  
Joey had a feeling it was one of them who attacked Summer. Did that mean they knew about the three of them? They knew who they were? Joey shook her head. He wouldn't remember them. That Zurgane thing probably just wanted to terrorize some poor young girl. Sighing, Joey closed her eyes and fell asleep.  
  
))))))))))))))(((((((((((((((((((((~~Summer's Dream~~ Summer was walking along a stone path in some sort of garden, in the far distance she could see a school, but it wasn't the Fire Lightning Academy, it was from somewhere else. Walking closer she began to see people, but she couldn't see their faces. 'Weird' She thought. She continued walking, until she slammed into a metal body. Glancing upwards she saw Zurgane. She tried to back away, but she couldn't. She was standing on the edge of the cliff. Zurgane gave her a shove, and she fell to her doom. ~~  
  
Summer's eyes shot open and she took a sharp breath. She clutched Hunter's shirt and let loose a few tears. She was so scared. Hunter felt Summer grab his shirt and opened his eyes. He saw that she was crying. Concern filled his face. He gently touched her cheek. Summer gasped and sat up. She blinked a few times and realized it was Hunter. She sighed and settled back into his arms. "Hey, you OK?" He asked softly. Summer nodded against his chest. "Yeah...Just...Bad dream." She whispered. Hunter held her closer against his body. "About what happened at the store?" He asked. "Yeah." She said. It wasn't a total lie. Hunter kissed the top of her head. "It's OK." He said. "I'm here. I'll always be here for you." He whispered against her hair. Summer sighed. She usually didn't like people feeling the need to protect her. But now, she was glad Hunter was up for the job. "Thank you Hunter." She told him.  
  
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Shane walked along the woods. He heard about what happened from Dustin. He figured Joey would be in the woods, and he wanted to see if she was all right. He found her sitting by a tree, her head against it. She was sleeping. He walked over to her. She seemed troubled, as if she was having a confusing dream.  
  
~~~~~~~~~((Joey's dream))~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Joey was in her studio painting her landscape when she heard footsteps coming down the stairs. She turned, expecting to see Larissa or Summer, who she did see took her by surprise.  
  
"Shane?" She asked.  
  
"Hey." He said softly. "What are you doing here?" She asked. "You should go." She went to escort him out the door. Shane looked at her.  
  
"Do you really want me to leave?" He asked. Joey blinked. She looked into his eyes. They hypnotized her, as they seemed to bore into her. She slowly shook her head. Shane gave her a warm smile. He got closer to her. "What are you doing?" She asked.  
  
"Something I know we've both been wanting to do." He said as he lowered his lips to hers.  
  
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Joey sat up straight, awaking from her dream with a start. She looked over and saw Shane sitting beside her. She gave a surprised yelp and jumped to her feet. "What the hell are you doing here?" Joey practically screamed. Shane fell backwards holding his ears. "Geez, could you not scream?" He asked gently. Joey glared at him. "What are you doing here?" She asked again. "Looking for you." He replied. "Why?" She asked. "Dustin told me what happened. Is Summer OK?" He asked. "I wouldn't know, she's holed up in her room with her new boyfriend." Joey replied in a disgusted tone. "How'd you know I was here anyway?" She asked. "Because you're always here. I'd think you lived here if I didn't know any better." He smirked. "Ha ha...funny...not" Joey retorted. Shane sighed. "Was sarcasm a way of life in your family or something?" He questioned. Joey shot him a look. He backed off. "Ok ok, Geez." "I'd appreciate it if you didn't talk about my family." She said. She sat back down. Shane sat next to her. "Unhappy childhood?" He asked. "If you consider growing up not knowing half of where my genetics come from unhappy, sure." She sighed. "What do you mean by that?" Shane questioned. Joey gave him another look. "I don't know who my father is." She growled. Shane nodded. "Must suck." He replied. Joey rolled her eyes. "No Shane, it rocks... idioto." "Sorry." He said. "Do you know anything about him?" He asked. "Only what my mom said. Which is he's the devil incarnate himself and she hopes he dies a thousand deaths." "So that's why you got so pissed when I called you Lucifer's Spawn." Shane commented. Joey shot him a look. "Sorry." He amended. "Why do you care anyway?" She asked. "Because you seemed upset and I was worried." Shane said. "About me? Aw, how sweet." Joey said dryly. "But, I don't need some huebon worrying about me." She added. Shane sighed. "Look, just because your dad was obviously brain damaged, doesn't mean all guys in the universe are the same." "Brain damaged?" Joey asked. "Well, he must've been, to not want to be a part of your life." Shane said, looking at her. "And what makes me so special?" Joey asked sarcastically. "Do you even need to ask?" He replied in a soft tone that surprised Joey. She looked at him. "It doesn't matter know anyway." She said, shrugging it off. "I never knew him, and I turned out just fine, so I can survive without him." "Detesting males isn't a sign of 'turning out just fine'." Shane said. Joey rolled her eyes. "I have yet to meet a male who deserves otherwise." She said. Shane blinked. "Ouch..." He muttered. "That stung a little." Joey looked at him. "Just being honest." She said. Shane nodded. "Brutally, but honest, I guess so." Shane said. "I'll admit I haven't given you the best first impression. Although, you haven't exactly done so either." He pointed out. "Well, there's the difference between u and I. I don't give a damn." She replied. "Why are you so cold?" Shane asked. He received. "I don't want to talk about it." Joey growled out. "So, just so I'm sure, anything that just happens to be about your personal life, you don't want to talk about?" Shane asked. Joey looked at him. "Not with you, at least." She replied. "Joey." He sighed. "I'm trying to make an effort here, can't you at least do the same?" He asked. Joey scoffed softly. "Why are you even bothering with me?" She asked. "Because...I dunno...I just.... agh!." Shane screeched. He crashed into Joey holding his arm. "Shane!" Joey yelled. Joey grabbed his shoulders and proceeded to drag him away. Joey set him down a few feet away and proceeded to examine the cut. It wasn't a cut. "Shane..." She whispered. Shane looked at her. "You were stabbed." She told him. His eyes went wide. He shoved her out of the way, and was stabbed in the shoulder again. "OUCH!" He screamed. There was a monster standing between Joey and Shane. "Hello, children." The monster said. "Didn't your mothers ever tell you it's dangerous to be in the woods at night?" It chuckled lowly. Shane looked at Joey fearfully. "Joey, get out of here!" He said. Joey looked at him. "No freakin' way!" She replied. The monster turned to her. "Lothor wants you." It bellowed. Joey's heart stopped. Lothor knew.... Lothor knew who she, Summer and Larissa were. She decided to play dumb, so as not to be exposed to Shane. "Who? What? What's going on?" She said. Shane growled. He mustered all his strength and launched at the monster, kicking it in the back. "Shane, don't!" Joey screamed. "Oh are you worried your little boyfriend's going to get hurt?" The monster laughed. Joey went up and kicked the laughing monster. "Fuck you buddy. He ain't my boyfriend." She growled. The monster stumbled and was kicked again by Shane. The monster slashed at Shane with his sword. Shane fell back, the sword barely missing his stomach. "Shane, get out of here, you're hurt!" Joey ordered. "I'm not leaving you with this thing!" Shane replied. The monster turned to Joey again. Joey stepped back. "What do you want with me?" Joey said, still acting clueless. "Lothor's seen you fight, he says your a good warrior, and would like you with our side, girlie." Joey blinked. 'They're totally clueless about us...thank god.' She thought. "Well, good warrior this!" Joey exclaimed as she jumped up and kicked the monster in the face. "Jesus Joey, where the hell did you learn to fight?" Shane asked dodging the falling monster. Joey whipped around and grinned cheekily. "Trust me...if you knew, a) I'd have to kill you and b) you wouldn't believe me if I told you." Shane shook his head. The monster got up again. "Shane, you go that way, I'll go this way...meet outside the forest and run like hell." Joey whispered. Shane stopped her. "It's after you." He said. Joey looked at him. "And you're hurt. Now go!" She yelled. She ran away from him and the monster. The monster got up, and as predicted, went after Joey. Shane wanted to help her, but he knew in his state, he needed backup. He pulled his communicator to his mouth. "Cam, it's Shane. One of Lothor's goons is after Joey in the woods, need help." He said. "Were on it." Cam's voice replied. "Ninja Storm, Ranger Form ha!" Shane called out. He streaked after the monster, and attempted to get in front of Joey, to save her.  
  
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"Cam to Hunter, Dustin, Tori and Blake." Cam's voice rang through their morphers. He only received three answers back. 'Where's Hunter?' He asked silently. "Guys get to Ninja Ops immedality. Cam told them. About 5 minutes later he had a yellow and two blue rangers. "Where's Hunter?" Blake asked. Cam shrugged. "Can't reach him so we'll have to deal without him for now." Cam replied.  
  
()))))))))))))))))((((((((((((((( Larissa sat in her room. She heard her computer beeping. Which only meant one thing-trouble. She went over to it and picked up her headset. "Joey to Lars, Joey to Lars." Came Joey's frantic voice. "I'm here, what's going on?" "Monster..." Joey sounded like she was running. "It hurt Shane, I'm trying to get it away from him...Need help." "Summer's with Hunter." Larissa said. "Don't get her. She needs to rest." "OK, I'm on my way." Larissa said. She shut off the transmission. And stood up. "Lightning Storm, ranger form." She called out.  
  
())))))))))))(((())))))))))))))))))))) Joey had finished her talk with Larissa when she tripped over a root. "Shit!" She called out as she fell. The monster finally got up to her. She looked up. She tried to get up to fight, when she saw something red streaking towards her. The red ranger fought off the monster. Soon, something in blue, navy, yellow and green streaked over and helped him. Joey sighed.  
  
"Tell Lothor if he ever tries to terrorize these citizens again," The red ranger growled once he knocked down the monster, "we'll personally deal with him." The monster stumbled to its feet. "No one said Rangers would be here, I'm out of here." He said as he left. The Red ranger turned around and knelt beside Joey. "You alright?" He asked softly. Joey nodded then her eyes went wide. "Shane." She whispered. She pushed herself up and took off running towards the exit of the woods. Everyone's facemasks opened, except for Cam's. "Uh dude you might wanna get there before she does." Dustin told him. Shane demorphed and streaked towards the entrance beating Joey by a few seconds. "Joey! Your alright!" Shane exclaimed embracing her. Joey stiffened. "Let go of me." She told him. Shane looked at her. "What?" He asked. "I say I'm glad you're OK, and all you say is 'let go of me'?" Joey sighed. "You should've left when I said so. Now, look at you." She muttered, looking at his wounded arm. "I'll be fine." He said.  
  
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The rangers put their masks back up as something orange appeared. They all looked at her. "What happened?" She asked, looking around. "If you're looking for a baddie, we took care of it." Dustin said. The orange ranger looked at him. "I was told there was a girl getting attacked..." She said. "Uh, yeah, she's OK." Tori nodded. "She's just checking on her friend." The orange ranger nodded. "Well, see ya then." She said as she streaked away. "And we still have no idea who that girl, or her fellow rangers, are." Blake commented.  
  
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Summer awoke around 3am, nice and warm with a nice comfy pillow. Stirring slightly, she saw Hunter lying on his back one hand wrapped around her, and the other intertwined with her's. He looked so cute asleep. Slowly she unwrapped herself from his warm grasp and climbed off her mattress. Slowly, and gingerly she walked out of her room and down the stairs to the kitchen to get a glass of water and some more aspirin. Summer turned the tap to fill her glass. She also popped the bottle of aspirin and shook some out when the front door opened. In walked Larissa.  
  
"Rissa? What are you doing outside at...3am?" Summer asked quietly. Larissa took her shoes and jacket off and walked into the kitchen. "Joey was having some 'issues,'" Larissa told her. Summer gasped. "Why didn't you come and get me?" Summer growled. Larissa rolled her eyes. "Hunter being a key reason." Larissa told her. Summer nodded. "Lets see your bruise" Larissa told her. Summer turned around and lifted her tank top. From where her shirt ended, until half way up her back, there was a nasty purple-blue bruise. "That, is one ugly looking thing" Larissa told her. Summer chuckled. "Thanks Riss." "So, is Joey OK?" Summer asked. "I dunno. Our new ranger friends where there. They said they took care of the thing and that Joey went to check on Shane." "Shane?" Summer asked. "Apparently he got hurt." "What was Shane doing there with Joey in the first place?" She asked. Larissa shrugged. "We'll find out when she gets back."  
  
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"Joey, are you sure you're OK?" Shane asked. Joey sighed. "Yes, I'm fine. That thing barely touched me. As supposed to you, who got stabbed in the arm twice." She looked at his wound. "I should get you to a hospital." She said. Shane looked at her. "So, you do care about me?" He asked with a smile. Joey rolled her eyes. "No, just don't want the guilt if that thing gets infected and you die. A joyous day it would be though." "Well, I guess near death experiences don't change your attitude, huh?" Shane asked. Joey rolled her eyes. "Whatever, I'm outtie. Later." She told him. Shane thought about stopping her, but it was late, and his arm was killing him. He sighed and walked home.  
  
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Joey walked up the driveway to the house, but stopped short. There were lights on in the kitchen, and two shadows standing there..."Maybe I shouldn't go in." Joey said out loud. Joey sighed. She knew she had to come in sometime. She walked into the house. Summer and Larissa saw her. "Are you OK?" Summer asked. "What happened?" Larissa asked. Joey walked in and sat with them in the kitchen. "Is Hunter still here?" She asked. Summer nodded. Joey sighed. "I'll tell you later then. Might as well, I need some sleep." She said as she stood up and went to her room. Larissa and Summer looked at each other. Summer shrugged. "I'm going back to bed then." She told Larissa, who smiled and nodded. "Don't give me that look. Geez...according to you people, Hunter and I are already sleeping together." Summer told her. Larissa laughed. Rolling her eyes, Summer trudged back upstairs. Summer walked up the steps and into her room. She found Hunter to be sitting up rubbing his eyes. "Hey." He called softly. Summer smiled. "Hi." She replied. She stepped onto the mattress and kneeled beside Hunter and kissed him gently on the lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck. Hunter placed one hand on her upper back, and the lower, gently, but hard enough to cause Summer to whimper. Hunter pulled away from the kiss quickly and Summer leaned her head against his shoulder trying not to cry again. "Oh my god Summer. I'm so sorry." Hunter lifted her head up and kissed away the few fallen tears. "It's ok Hunter. It's just a little tender" She told him gently. "Turn around." He told her. Summer turned around and Hunter lifted her tank top. "I thought we were gonna stay at PG-13 for now. Were sitting at 14A Hunter." Summer joked. He chuckled. "Your bruise is huge Summer. You sure you're going to be ok?" He prodded gently. Summer swung around. "I'm not made of glass Hunter. If you touch me I'm not going to break." She told him angrily. "Summer...I'm sorry I was just worried." He told her. Summer sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. "No...I should be the one to be apologizing...I shouldn't be taking my anger out on you Hunter...it wasn't your fault." she replied. "But it feels like it was my fault." He told her. She looked at him, tears now freely streaming down her face. "It wasn't your fault Hunter...please don't blame yourself...I should have been more careful." Summer replied. Hunter pressed his lips against Summer's in a very gently, sort of calming way. When they pulled away Summer looked Hunter in the eyes. "Hunter..." She began.  
  
"I...I...." She tried to get the words out but they wouldn't come. "What baby?" He asked. Summer looked at him. "I love you." She said. Hunter's eyes widened a bit. Summer looked down. "And now I feel incredibly stupid that I just said that." She whispered. Hunter looked at her. He gently took her chin and tilted her face up. "Why do you feel stupid?" He asked. ". Because I just said I love you and you obviously don't feel the same." She sighed. Hunter leaned in and kissed her gently. "I don't recall saying that I didn't feel the same." He said softly, a smile playing on his lips. "You...you do?" Summer said, a smiling creeping up on her face. Hunter sighed slightly. "I'm not sure if it's love Summer.... but I defiantly feel something that just might be love." He replied. Summer smiled again. "For now...I can live with that." She said. They both smiled and kissed again. They settled back into bed and fell asleep in one another's embrace.  
  
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The next morning, Hunter and Summer walked down the stairs to see Joey and Larissa sitting in the living room. "Morning." Hunter greeted. Larissa smiled, Joey simply grunted in reply. Summer looked at him.  
  
"I'll see you later." She said softly. Hunter nodded and kissed her. Summer walked him out. Before Summer could get two words, nasty words at that out of her mouth. The phone rang. "Hello?" Joey asked. She nodded. "I can tell her. Yup, thanks...bye." Joey hung up the phone. "That was Kelly...you have the next two days off because of your 'injury'" Joey growled. Summer's eyes went wide. "Uh, ok." She replied. Summer sighed and sat down. "So, who's first?" Larissa asked. Summer and Joey looked at her. "Huh?" They said. "Well, someone's going to tell the rest of us what happened, so, who goes first?" "Well, why don't we go in time order."? Joey said sarcastically. "Take it, Sum." She said. Summer sighed. She looked at her friends. "It was Zurgane." She said. The other two were silent. "Do you think they know about us?" Larissa asked. "No. He seemed like he just wanted to reek some havoc on some poor unsuspecting chick." Summer said. "Well, that's good...I mean...Well, you know." Larissa said. Summer rolled her eyes. "Your turn Jo." She told her. Joey sighed. "Short version.... I was in the woods again, had a "Shane" encounter, got attacked by a monster that stabbed him. Power Rangers appeared. End of story." Summer chuckled. "Nice story Joey." She said Joey made a face at her, causing Summer to laugh harder. Larissa just shook her head. "Your both nuts." "Anyway," Joey said, trying to get back on track. "It said something about Lothor wanting me on his side...About me being a good warrior." Joey shuddered. "As if I'd ever want to be on that asshole's side." "So, now both you and Summer have gotten attacked." Larissa said. "I don't like it. Not one bit." "Well, getting attacked isn't usually pleasant." Summer pointed out. Larissa rolled her eyes. "So what does that mean? I'm next?" She asked. Both Joey and Summer shrugged. "Maybe." They said. "Oh, how comforting." Larissa replied. Joey sighed. "We can avoid it if we stick together." Joey said. "At all times, at least two of us together." "Uh, yeah, hi, girl with boyfriend here, don't know how I'll explain this to Hunter." Summer replied. Joey looked at her. "Well, I guess you'll have to break up with him then." She shrugged. Summer glared at her. Larissa whimpered slightly, knowing another fight was brewing. "Excuse me?" Summer growled. Larissa looked from Joey to Summer and back again. Two hotheaded girls in the same room was not a good thing. "I said...maybe you should dumb him." Joey replied, not caring that she had majorily pissed Summer off. Summer stood up. "I'm not dumping him just because you said so." Summer retorted. Joey snorted and looked at the blond. "He'll lose interest in you soon enough." Joey told her. Summer's face darkened. "Shane was right when he slapped you Joey...you deserved every fucking bit of it...bitch." Summer spat. She turned on her heal and grabbed her jacket and keys. "Don't be surprised if I just come back to get my stuff. Hell knows I wouldn't want to be in the same household as the person who hates the person I love. Later." And with that Summer walked out the door, jumped into her car and drove away. Joey stared at the door. Larissa got up and glared at her. "What the hell did you do that for?" Larissa asked. "You don't say a guy's going to loose interest to Summer, how could you?" Joey looked at her. "Because they always do! Men never stick around. And I'm just saving Summer the heartache of having to find that out the hard way." "You know, just because your mother has brainwashed you in to believing that, doesn't mean we have to believe it too." Larissa said. Joey glared at her. "Shut up." She spat out. "What the hell makes you think you can boss us around anyway?" Larissa continued. Joey scoffed. "Oh, I don't know, cause I'm the oldest? Oh, and the leader?" "Excuse me? Who said you were the 'leader'? Who said anyone was the 'leader'?" "My mother. She gave the morphers to me. Not you, not Summer, me." Joey countered. "Yeah, right before she and my mom locked us in the storm shelter, abandoning us." Larissa replied bitterly. She looked at Joey. "Wow, now I know where you get the need to walk away all the time. Both your mom and dad walked away, didn't they?" **SMACK*** Joey's hand flew across Larissa's face. Larissa stumbled back. She looked at Joey. Joey gasped. "Oh my god, Lars.... I'm sorry." She went to her. Larissa stepped back. "How dare you!?" Larissa spoke, her voice wavering. "Christ Joey...you might get away with that with Summer, or some guy...but not me...I don't need this." Larissa stalked off to her room. "What have I done."? She cried.  
  
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Summer pulled her car off the road and dialed Tori's cell phone number it and let it ring. "Hello?" Tori answered. Summer started to say something but broke down into tears. "Summer? What's wrong?" Tori asked, her voice filled with worry. Summer continued to cry. "Ok...ok... meet me at the beach in 10 minutes ok?" Tori asked. "ok." Came the tiny reply.  
  
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Summer drove to the beach. She sat on the sand, looking out to the ocean. Tori soon showed up and walked over. "Summer?" Tori asked quietly. Summer turned her head. Her face was red and puffy from her tears. "Tori." She replied. Tori went over and hugged the blond girl who broke into sobs again. Summer sniffed. "I had a major fight with Joey." She told Tori. Tori eyes went wide. "What happened."? She prodded. Summer repeated the story, except for the fact that, she, Joey and Larissa were rangers, ending with how she wasn't going back there until Joey apologized for what she said. Tori was dumbfounded. "I can't believe Joey would say that Hunter would break up with you." Tori told her. Summer sniffed. "I know...but now I need somewhere to stay." Summer told her. Tori nodded thoughtfully. "You should talk to Hunter..." Summer looked at her. "People are going to start getting ideas Tor.... I mean he's stayed at my house like the past three nights...Larissa already thinks were sleeping together...Which we aren't!" Summer exclaimed seeing Tori's face. Tori smiled. "OK, well, you can talk to Hunter later...right now...you need to shop!" Summer smiled. She wiped at her cheeks. "OK." She said, taking a deep breath. Tori smiled and stood up. She pulled Summer to her feet. "Let me park my car at Storm Chargers then we can go ok?" Summer asked. Tori nodded and they set off towards Storm Chargers. 


	11. Sickness

Tori and Summer went shopping together. It was fun. Summer was actually able to forget about all the crap that occurred. It felt nice hanging with someone who didn't bite her head off, or who wasn't trying to play peacemaker every single second.  
  
After they went shopping, they stopped by Storm Chargers and saw Blake and Hunter. Hunter could see that something had happened and instantly went into concerned boyfriend mode.  
  
"Did something happen after I left?" He asked. Summer looked at him. She hated the fact that now she was flooded with a reminder of everything. She sighed.  
  
"Yeah. Joey and I got into a fight....I don't want to talk about it.." She said, not wanting to tell him the full out details.  
  
"Are you sure?" Hunter asked. Summer nodded.  
  
"But we need to talk..." She replied. Hunter didn't like when she said that...always made him feel like she was going to break up with him.  
  
"Uh now?" Hunter asked. Summer nodded.  
  
"Now's good. Just let me put my bags into my trunk of my car and I'll meet you in the break room ok?" She asked. Hunter nodded. He was so understanding. Summer walked outside and threw was looked to be 20 bags of clothing into the trunk and went back inside. She met with Hunter in the break room. Hunter looked at her, feeling as if she was about to dump him. Summer sat down. Hunter sat next to her.  
  
"What's wrong?" He asked. Summer looked down.  
  
"I don't want you to think that I'm some sad pathetic girl who is trying to depend on her boyfriend for everything but...I need to get away from everything for a while." She sighed.  
  
"You're leaving?" He asked. Summer looked at him.  
  
"Yes...Wait, no, not how you're thinking. I mean..I need to not be in that house with Joey right now...And..." She took a deep breath. "Feel free to totally say no, but, would it be all right if I stayed with you and Blake for a few days?" She asked. Hunter looked at her. He was so worried she was about to break up with him, and it turned out she wanted to move in with him? Hunter couldn't express how relieved he was feeling. "I know I seem like I'm pressuring you." She gave a bitter laugh. "Last night I said I love you, today I want to move it, god, next week I'll probably be expecting marriage." She joked. Hunter went totally white and his eyes went huge. He fell off the chair he was sitting on. "Hunter!" Summer cried out, surprised. But before she knew it, Summer was on the ground laughing at him. Hunter finally snapped out of it.  
  
"So you wanna move in eh?" He asked. Summer rolled her eyes again, seemed to be a natural thing for her.  
  
"No Hunter...I'm just asking because my non-existent dog wants to." Hunter gave her a puzzled look.  
  
"Uh...." he started. Summer laughed.  
  
"Yes.If it's all right." She said. Hunter smiled and got back on the chair. He enveloped Summer in a big hug.  
  
"Of course it's all right." He said.  
  
"You're sure Blake wouldn't mind? I don't want to impose." She said. Hunter gave her a light kiss.  
  
"He'll be fine. And if he isn't, I'll just lock him in a trunk until he is." He joked. "It's not like I haven't done that before."  
  
"You know, it's older brothers like you that make me glad I was an only child." Summer giggled. Hunter laughed and kissed her again.  
  
"Thank you.......you don't know how much it means to me..." Summer told him. Hunter smiled.  
  
"No biggie." He told her. Summer smiled again.  
  
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Later that afternoon, Summer drove to the house to pick up some things. She walked in to find Joey sitting in the living room with tears in her eyes.  
  
"Not crying over me, I hope." Summer said as she shut the door behind her. Joey looked at her.  
  
"I'm a horrible person, I know. Just save us both some time and give me all the verbal shit now." She said. Summer looked at her.  
  
"I'm leaving." She said. Joey looked at her.  
  
"What? You can't..I mean, Summer, we're supposed to be a team." She said. Summer folded her arms.  
  
"Are we? Because you sure haven't been acting like that. This is more like a dictatorship, with you as little Hitler in training."  
  
"So, you're saying I've got ego issues too?" Joey said softly. "Look, I know I've been a bitch lately...I just..."  
  
"It's your way of dealing, I know, I know." Summer sighed. "But it's not mine. And, if I stay here, I know any friendship you and I have will totally disintegrate. And, Jo, you may be a bitch, but you're still my friend. I talked to Hunter, he's letting me stay with him and Blake for a few days. Then, maybe if you've gotten to accept that fact that I love Hunter and do not intend on dumping him, I'll consider coming back."  
  
"Summer, he's going to hurt you, that's what men all do." Joey said softly. Summer sighed.  
  
"Well, you know what, I'll take my chances. Because right now, the only one who's hurting me is you." And with that she went up the stairs to her room to get her things.  
  
Joey watched the stairs after her. Tears ran down her cheeks. 'Great...I've managed to nearly destroy the friendship I have between me and Summer...and I hit Larissa....what else can go wrong today?' Joey's mind wondered.  
  
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Summer stood in her room....she didn't need that much, just the basic necessities. She went into her adjoining bathroom that was shared with Larissa. Summer scribbled a note on the pad of paper she had in her room and posted it on the mirror in the bathroom. Grabbing her shampoo and conditioner, and toothpaste and toothbrush, as well as her other necessatiries, Summer walked back out into the main room. She dumped into her bag and grabbed a few other things that she hadn't boughten.  
  
"So, you were just going to leave me a note?" Came a voice from the bathroom. Summer turned to see Larissa. She looked like she had been crying too. Summer looked down.  
  
"I'm sorry. I just can't take Joey's shit right now."  
  
"And you think I can?" Larissa asked.  
  
"Yeah, but you've dealt with her longer then I have. You can manage." Summer sighed. Larissa looked at her.  
  
"Not how she is now. I mean, about the Hunter thing, sure, she's always hated guys, but, this whole ego-tripping thing? You and I both know it didn't exist until a few months ago."  
  
"Well what do you want me to do?" Summer asked. Larissa looked at her.  
  
"Take me with you." She said softly. Summer blinked. She went over and pulled Larissa into a hug.  
  
"I can't Rissa.....and about the ego trip thing....maybe me leaving will teach her a lesson...and if she doesn't apologize, one I'm not coming back, and two I might just give my morpher up. But I highly doubt the second one." Summer told her Larissa nodded. "Just stay out of her way...I always have my cell on too....it's all going to be fine." Summer told Larissa again.  
  
"Goodbye Summer." Larissa said as Summer turned to leave her room.  
  
"Bye Rissa...be strong ok?" She asked. Larissa nodded, tears streaming down her face.  
  
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Summer drove back to Storm Chargers with her things. Hunter and Blake had to work still, so she decided to wait there. She parked her car and walked into the store. Hunter saw her come in. He saw her upset expression. He walked over to her and pulled her into a tight embrace. Summer sighed softly and rested her head against his chest. She felt so safe in Hunter's arms. She felt like everything would be all right, even if the world around her was crumbling.  
  
"Take it you went home." He said generally. Summer nodded.  
  
"Oh ya...seems Joey did some more damage...to Larissa this time." Summer told him. Hunter looked at her. "Joey has ego trips...she thinks because she's the oldest she can be in charge..." Summer shrugged. "Guess it happens if you're a Hitler in training." Hunter chuckled lightly. "It's true Hunter. Shane called her the spawn of the devil...and I say she's a Hitler in training...can't be far from the truth...you should hear some of her theories." She told him.  
  
"Such as?" He asked. Summer looked at him. "You really wanna know?" She replied. He nodded. Hunter grabbed a can of coke and popped it open and began drinking it.  
  
"OK....her first and most prominent theory is...that...if it has a penis, it's evil." Hunter spit his drink all over the counter and began coughing. He looked at his girlfriend.  
  
"You can't be serious?!" He exclaimed. Summer laughed.  
  
"Oh yeah."  
  
"Wha...Why?" Hunter asked. Summer sighed.  
  
"Her mom." She said, only to instantly feel bad. "Not that her mom's a bad person. It's just that...She's got a low opinion of males, and, well, Joey was raised believing that."  
  
"What did her dad think of that?" Hunter asked. Summer looked at him. He caught what she meant. "Oh.." He said.  
  
"Her dad left before she was even born." Summer confirmed.  
  
"Well, no wonder she feels that way." Hunter said. Summer looked at him.  
  
"Don't tell me you agree with her." She laughed. Hunter chuckled.  
  
"Oh sure, I'm evil, about certain things." He joked. "But, I guess you've got to see things from her perspective. She grew up not knowing her dad, that's gotta suck." He said. Summer looked at him. She knew he was right. He grew up not knowing who his biological parents where, and his adopted parents died when he was young. Summer walked over to him and put her arms around his waist, hugging him tightly.  
  
"I love how you're so understanding." She said softly.  
  
"I get that a lot." Hunter joked. Summer swatted his arm.  
  
"Jerk." She kidded. Hunter smiled.  
  
"But you love this jerk." He said. Summer smiled.  
  
"Yes, yes I do." She said. Hunter put his arms around her. "Are you completely sure I'm not imposing or in the way by staying with you guys?" She asked. Hunter smiled and looked at her.  
  
"Well, you know me, the more time with you the better." He said. Summer blushed a bit at that. "And, when I told Blake, I believe his words were 'woohoo, girl roommate!'." Summer burst out laughing.  
  
"He did not actually say that!" Summer said. "Ooo, I bet Tori'll love that one." She joked. Hunter laughed.  
  
"Oh ya...she'll kill him." They both laughed again. Kelly came around the corner. She smiled at the happy couple.  
  
"Hunter...you can leave early today." She told him. Hunter smiled.  
  
"You sure Kel? I can stay around..." Kelly shook her head.  
  
"Naw go home." And with that Kelly walked back to wherever she had come from.  
  
"Guess Blake will have to find his own way home...if he comes home." Summer joked. She and Hunter strolled out of the shop hand in hand.  
  
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Joey sat in the living room. Larissa came down and saw her.  
  
"Still sulking?" She asked bitterly. Joey looked at her.  
  
"I'm sorry." She said softly. "I didn't mean to hit you." Larissa looked at her.  
  
"Yes you did." She said.  
  
"No, Larissa. I didn't. God, you're like my sister, I'd never hurt you."  
  
"But you would hurt Summer?" She asked. Joey's face dawned a pained expression. "Wow, you look a lot like your mom when you make that face." Larissa commented. "Do you know that Summer just might not come back? And that she might consider giving up her morpher?" Larissa said. Joey looked at her.  
  
"No..She can't do that." Joey said.  
  
"She can, and she will if you don't pull your head out of your ass!" Larissa replied. Joey jumped upwards.  
  
"My head is not stuck up my ass!" She cried. Larissa snorted.  
  
"Joey, your head is shoved so far up your ass you can't tell whether it's night or day anymore!"  
  
"All I did was warn her. Hunter is a man. Men leave, they always leave!" Joey yelled.  
  
"You say men always leave. Well, newsflash, everyone leaves if you shove them out hard enough!" Larissa yelled back.  
  
"I didn't shove anyone!"  
  
"Oh, right, sure. And making Summer feel like crap because she has feelings for someone was just soooooooooo incredibly supportive and warm! You know, just because you think you don't have a reason to be happy, doesn't mean you have to make the rest of the world miserable too."  
  
"I can't believe you're even going there!" Joey yelled. "You act as if your mom is fine. As if she's just taking a trip. Well, she's not. Your mom, my mom, the other girls from the academy, they're off somewhere, god knows where, and we don't even know if they're alive or not! I'm sorry, but I just can't understand how you can be happy!"  
  
"Because I still have you and Summer!" Larissa screeched. "Because no matter what, I'm not alone."  
  
"Are you saying I am alone?" Joey asked. Larissa nodded.  
  
"You shove everyone away as if they're carrying the plague Jo...and were not." She said. "You're alone because you make yourself be alone. But, that's not all, you expect Summer and I to be alone too. You expect us to shut ourselves off from everyone else just because that's what you do. You expect us to make sure no one cares about us. But we can't do that! I don't want to shut everyone out, and I can't not care about you!" Larissa yelled, tears streaking down her cheeks. Joey stood there speechless. Larissa sighed and spoke again.  
  
"You, and Summer are my ohanna, my family....Ohanna means family, family means, nobody gets left behind or forgotten...and right now were obviously not an Ohanna."  
  
"How can we be? We're supposed to be fighting some evil space ninjas and also try to keep a normal profile with the locals."  
  
"Exactly! Fighting them, not each other." Larissa said. Joey looked at her. She sighed.  
  
"You're just angry right now." She said.  
  
"Gee, you figure that out all by yourself?" Larissa snapped.  
  
"You're angry because of what happened to your mom and my mom. You're angry because our lives got disrupted by Lothor and his stupid little lackies." Joey said. Larissa scoffed.  
  
"No, I'm not. I'm angry because you are so god damn clueless!" Larissa went to the door.  
  
"What are you doing?" Joey asked.  
  
"Something that I'm sure you're used to people doing to you about now. Walking away!" And with that she left the house.  
  
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Summer pulled into the driveway of the Bradley household and shut the engine off. Hunter and she opened their doors and went around to the back of the vehicle to get Summer's stuff. Hunter managed to carry all of Summer's 17 bags from the mall, where as she took her duffle bag, and pillow stuff with her teddy bear and pink sweatshirt that she had packed for the cooler nights. Meaning when she wasn't curled up next to Hunter.  
  
Hunter opened the door to his and Blake's house. He dropped Summer's bags and Summer set her duffle bag on the ground by her feet. "Ok." Hunter said.  
  
"Were going to have a problem with sleeping arrangements." He told her. Summer looked at him. He shrugged. "All of our 'extra' stuff in the guestroom." He said. Summer shrugged.  
  
"OK...I'll take the couch." Hunter looked at her.  
  
"Huh? No, you can have my bed. I'll take the couch." He replied.  
  
"I don't want to be any more of an inconvenience to you by taking your bed, the couch is fine." She retorted.  
  
"Why can't we share?" He asked. Summer rolled her eyes.  
  
"I already have Larissa and Tori thinking that were sleeping together....I don't need Blake too!." She snapped. Hunter put his hands up defensively.  
  
"God...it's just...I like waking up next to you." He told her. Summer looked at him. She couldn't stay mad at him after a statement like that. She sighed and hugged him.  
  
"And I like waking up next to you." She said. "But, I don't need your brother assuming we'd hit the sheets after dating less then a week." She smiled. Hunter sighed.  
  
"My brother's an idiot. Who cares what he thinks?" He said. Summer laughed.  
  
"The couch will be fine for me." She said.  
  
"Summer, you have a bruise on your back. You need a comfortable bed to sleep in." He reminded her.  
  
"Hunter, I thought you were my boyfriend, not my father." Summer sighed. Hunter put his arms around her.  
  
"I am your boyfriend." He said. He planted kisses along her jaw line and down her neck. "A very concerned, caring boyfriend who doesn't want his girlfriend to make her injuries worse." Summer sighed softly at how good his lips felt against her skin.  
  
"Grr." She groaned playfully. "No fair, you can't do that. I'm like putty in your arms." Hunter continued to kiss down her neck. It was giving her goosebumps. Shivering she leaned against him and closed her eyes. "Hmm, if sharing your bed involves more of this, then perhaps I'm convinced." She sighed. Hunter smiled against her skin.  
  
"And what about what Blake might think?" He asked innocently.  
  
"Blake's an idiot, who cares what he thinks?" She replied. That was it for Hunter. He began howling with laughter. His arms fell from Summer's body and he fell to the ground holding his stomach laughing. He was turning the color of his shirt.  
  
"What's so funny?" She asked.  
  
"Oh the fact that I'm an idiot and nobody cares what I think." Blake said from the kitchen door. Summer shrieked.  
  
"How...Wha..I thought you were still at the store..." Summer stammered, turning beet red.  
  
"I figured." Blake smirked. "My shift was over." Summer looked over at Hunter who was still laughing. She jabbed at his side with her foot.  
  
"Ow." Hunter muttered, still laughing.  
  
"And the moment is now officially ruined." Summer sighed. "Awwwww...you two were having a moment." Blake cooed. Summer rolled her eyes. She was really ticked. She and Hunter were sharing a special moment and Blake ruined it. She glared at Hunter.  
  
"Did you know he was there the whole time?" She asked. Hunter sobered a bit.  
  
"No. I swear. I just saw him right now. Honest." He said, still chuckling a bit. Summer sighed.  
  
"Maybe I should've asked to stay with Tori." Summer muttered. Blake ran at her and dropped to his knees sliding a little.  
  
"No please stay!!" He shouted. Summer pluged her ears a little.  
  
"Geez, ya think he'd never seen a girl before or something." Hunter howled again.  
  
"Before he met Tori, he hadn't!!" He said. Blake glared at his brother and punched him in the arm. Hunter punched him back. The two then broke out into a brotherly wrestling mach. Summer rolled her eyes.  
  
"Boys!" She shouted. The two stopped. Hunter had Blake in a headlock.  
  
"Dude, my head should not be this close to your pit! You stink!" Blake shouted.  
  
"Oh my god, I feel like a freaking babysitter." Summer sighed. She shook her head and looked at the two boys. "If I have to babysit, I'll leave now." She threatened  
  
Hunter's eyes went wide and he dropped Blake. "NO!"  
  
He ran over to her and hugged her, by accident, again, pressing against her bruise.  
  
"Ow!" She cried out, tears stinging her eyes once more.  
  
"Oh god...Summer..." Summer leaned her head against his chest again. She dug her nails into his back.  
  
"Be careful!" She growled.  
  
"I'm sorry." Hunter whispered. Summer sighed. She stepped back.  
  
"No, I'm sorry. I've just had a rough day. Is it all right if I just go to sleep?" She asked. Hunter nodded. He led her to his room. He helped her lay down on his bed. He sat down next to her.  
  
"I guess your moving here hasn't gotten off to a great start." He said softly, brushing her hair off her forehead. Summer sighed.  
  
"I'm just tired, it's not your fault." She said. Hunter kissed her forehead. Summer tugged on his arm.  
  
"Stay with me?" She asked quietly.  
  
"I thought you didn't want to give anyone the wrong impression." He joked. Summer smiled.  
  
"I don't care anymore...we might be sleeping together, but were not 'sleeping' together...let them think what they want to." She replied. Hunter went and shut the door and locked it. And went back over to Summer, who he gathered in his arms and fell asleep against.  
  
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"So, how's Summer?" Tori asked. She and Blake were walking along the beach together.  
  
"I think she's a little mad at me." Blake said.  
  
"Why's that?"  
  
"Because I ruined some 'moment' she and my brother were having." Blake said. Tori looked at him.  
  
"Come again?"  
  
"Well, they were arguing over the sleeping arrangements, obviously not knowing I was home, and Summer says she doesn't want me thinking they're 'hitting the sheets' and Hunter said 'Blake's an idiot, who cares what he things.' And then Hunter used..other persuasive tactics.."  
  
"If this is going to go to the plot of a porn movie, please stop." Tori joked. Blake laughed.  
  
"He was kissing her, and then she basically called me an idiot, so, I decided to take my opportunity to make my presence known." He said. Tori looked at him.  
  
"Ohh." She said. Blake smiled.  
  
"Yah...Summer was pissed at me and Hunter thought it was the funniest thing in the world." Blake told her. Tori shook her head and smacked him.  
  
"Didn't your mother ever teach you to keep you mouth shut during times like that?" She asked. Blake shook his head.  
  
"Naw." He replied. Tori chuckled.  
  
"Poor Summer. Having to babysit you two buffoons." Tori chuckled. Blake looked at her, offended.  
  
"I'm no buffoon." He replied. Tori cocked an eyebrow.  
  
"Sure. Whatever you say." She smirked. Blake looked at her.  
  
"So, was talking about Summer and Hunter the only reason you asked me to come talk?" He asked. Tori looked at him.  
  
"I'd be lying if I said that was true." She replied. She sighed. "Look, we're both wanting, and not wanting, to talk about what happened the other day. It's like the big elephant in the room. We both see it there, but we're pretending it isn't." Blake sighed.  
  
"Your right...we've been darting around the truth..." Blake said. Tori looked at him  
  
"I like you. A lot." They both said at the exact same time. Their eyes went wide.  
  
"Really?" They both said, together. They both looked away and chuckled nervously.  
  
"Wow." Blake said.  
  
"Yeah." Tori replied.  
  
"So, you like me...and I like you.." Blake said, doing a general recap.  
  
"Sounds like it." Tori replied. Blake looked at her shyly.  
  
"So.Uh, I guess we should try..Maybe..Going out sometime?" He asked. Tori smiled softly.  
  
"I'd like that." She said. Blake smiled back.  
  
"Me too." He told her. Tori dropped her hands down to her sides and Blake made a grab for the one and held it. Tori felt like she was on cloud nine. She was so happy. The two walked down hand in hand, looking at each other in a sweetly awkward and nervous manner from time to time. "I feel like I'm thirteen or something, I'm so...nervous.." He said, feeling a little embarrassed to admit it. Tori nodded.  
  
"Yeah...I know what you mean..." She replied. She looked at him. "It's uh..Getting late.." She said. Blake nodded.  
  
"Yeah, and we have training tomorrow, so I guess we should get full night's rest." He replied. Tori nodded. Neither made a move to release one another's hand. Blake decided to make the first move. He leaned over and kissed Tori softly, but firmly on the lips. Tori nearly melted on the spot. She responded to the kiss and gently parted her lips to deepen it. Blake let go of her hand and put his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him. Tori slid her arms around his shoulders. After a while, the two felt the need to breath. They pulled away slightly and looked at one another.  
  
"Wow." Tori whispered against his lips.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"I think I should go now." Tori told him. Blake kissed her once more and let go.  
  
"Ok." He said. Tori smiled as she backed away, keeping her eyes on him.  
  
"Bye." She said.  
  
"Bye." He replied, grinning like a lovesick fool. Tori reluctantly turned to go home, Blake did the same.  
  
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The next morning, Blake awoke to the smell of eggs and other breakfast foods wharfing through his nose. He sat up straight.  
  
"What the.." He got out of bed in his boxers and navy tee shirt and opened the door to his room, only to bump into Hunter.  
  
"I'm guessing you smelled it too." Hunter said, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Blake nodded. The two trekked to the kitchen to see Summer cooking. Plates with eggs and bacon where already on the table. They saw her turn around and place a plate with pancakes down as well. She looked up and saw them standing there. She smiled.  
  
"Morning." She said.  
  
"You made...breakfast?" Blake asked, totally dumbfounded.  
  
"Well, first I went to the store...My god, did you guys know you were out of eggs and pancake mix?" She asked.  
  
"How can you be out of something you never bought.." Blake muttered.  
  
"Well, anyway, I wasn't sure what you guys wanted, so.." She said, her voice trailing off. Blake looked at Hunter.  
  
"Dude, if you don't marry her, I will." He said. He then remembered last night and couldn't help smile. "Although, I think my girlfriend would have a problem with it if I did." He said. Summer and Hunter looked at him.  
  
"Girlfriend?" They both asked. Blake nodded.  
  
"Yes girlfriend." Summer continued to stare dumbfounded. How on earth was she going to explain this to Tori. Hunter however proceeded to grill his brother.  
  
"How the hell did you manage to land a girlfriend? And how do you plan to explain this one to Tori?" He fired. Blake looked at him.  
  
"Dude....Tori's my girlfriend..." Blake said.  
  
"Clang!" Both boys turned to see Summer standing in the kitchen, still looking dumbfounded, as she had just dropped a plate on the floor. Summer blinked.  
  
"Oh...Man, I'm sorry." She said softly, bending down to pick up the pieces of the broken plate. Hunter went over to her.  
  
"It's OK, I'll get it. You just sit." He said. Summer sat down at the table. She looked at Hunter.  
  
"You should probably sweep it up first, so you don't cut yourself." She suggested. Hunter and Blake looked at each other. Summer caught it. Her jaw dropped.  
  
"You don't have a broom?" She asked, stunned.  
  
"Uh.Well.." Blake replied.  
  
"We...haven't..gotten around....to...getting one..." Hunter said. Summer looked at the two and couldn't help laugh a bit.  
  
"How....long....have you....been living here?" Summer managed to get out between breaths. Both boys looked at her.  
  
"Uh....about 6 months." Hunter replied. Summer's mouth dropped.  
  
"Pardon me?" She asked.  
  
"Yeah..Just about.." Blake nodded. Summer looked at them.  
  
"Let me get this straight." She said. "Six months, and no broom, and a frigerater that looks like it belongs in a frat house?"  
  
"Dude, you're keeping beers in there and not telling me?" Blake joked, looking at Hunter.  
  
"You know what I mean." Summer said. "Take out leftovers? Milk that I think expired last week?"  
  
"It did?" Hunter asked. He opened the frigde and pulled out the carton of milk. He opened it and took a whiff. He dodged back, covering his nose. "She's right." He said.  
  
"I didn't think you liked your milk chunky style." Summer smirked. Hunter smiled.  
  
"Guess you have some shopping to do." He told her. Summer looked at him.  
  
"Excuse me?" She asked. Hunter caught her drift.  
  
"I mean...Blake's going to do the shopping...And since you and I both have the day off....were going to relax all day." Hunter replied kissing her softly. Summer smiled.  
  
"Much better. I didn't ask to stay here just to be a maid." She said. Blake looked at them.  
  
"Hello, I have to work, and yeah, I was thinking of spending time with my girlfriend." Blake said, he was so loving the sound of that word. Summer looked at him.  
  
"Take her with you." Summer suggested. "Maybe having a female with you will keep you from coming back with just junk food." Blake looked at her.  
  
"Hey!" He said. Summer giggled.  
  
"Anyway, come on, let's sit and eat before it gets cold." Summer said. The guys nodded and sat down at the table.  
  
Blake, Summer and Hunter finished their breakfast and Blake went upstairs mumbling something about not wanting to work today. Summer pulled her legs up on the chair and sat cross-legged across from Hunter.  
  
"So...what are we doing today?" Summer asked. Hunter toyed with the glass he was holding, and smiled.  
  
"I figured I'd spend the day treating you like a Queen." He told her. Summer grinned.  
  
"And how do you expect to do that, dear?" She asked. Hunter grinned wickedly.  
  
"Well, we have the house to ourselves all day, I'm sure I'll think of something." He said.  
  
"Oh, really?" Summer asked. She blinked, remembering something. Her grin faded. "I kind of want to stop by the house sometime today. Just to check on Larissa." She said. Hunter nodded.  
  
"Do you want me to come with you?" He asked.  
  
"Joey might throw something at your head, sure you want to risk it?" Summer asked.  
  
"Hey....I'm with you...She can only do so much damage." He told her. Summer smiled.  
  
"OK, just stay behind me, and you'll be safe." She joked. Hunter chuckled. Blake pounded back downstairs, fully dressed and showered.  
  
"Goodbye Blake." Hunter and Summer both called at the same time. Blake glared at the both of them and stormed out of the house. Summer looked at Hunter.  
  
"So does my treatment begin now?" She asked seductively. Hunter grinned and stood up.  
  
"But of course." He replied. He gently picked her up in his arms.  
  
"Whoa." She laughed. She was a little worried he'd touch her bruise, but he seemed to be taking extra special care to not hurt her. Hunter carried her off back to his room. Summer leaned her head against his shoulder and smiled. She ran her thumb across his cheek and smiled again. 'God i love him.' Her mind screamed. Hunter kicked open the door to his bedroom and carried Summer across the threshold. Summer looked at him.  
  
"Why does it seem like we've just gotten married and this is our honeymoon?" She asked. Hunter looked at her.  
  
"What do you mean?" He replied. Summer rolled her eyes...Guys could be so clueless.  
  
"I mean, you just carried me across the threshold..." She said. Hunter nodded thoughtfully...then shrugged. Summer rolled her eyes again.  
  
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Larissa had woken up a little while ago. She sat at her computer to work on some things. Suddenly she heard glass breaking and someone screaming in pain from downstairs. Larissa shot up and ran downstairs. Larissa rushed to the kitchen and saw Joey sitting on the floor, curled up in a ball, a broken drinking glass by her. Joey's breathing was ragged and sharp. Larissa looked at her.  
  
"Jo.?" She asked softly, worried. Joey looked up at her. Larissa gasped. Joey looked so pale, and was covered in sweat.  
  
"Lar...It's...Ugh...Happening...ah..again..." Joey stammered. Larissa's heart leapt up to her throat.  
  
"Oh god..." She whispered. "I..I'll go..Call Summer or." Larissa stammered. Joey shook her head.  
  
"No." She said. "I'll be fine."  
  
"We need Summer." Larissa said.  
  
"Jus..Just get me...Ice.." Joey grunted. Larissa went to the freezer and pulled out an ice tray. She rushed over to Joey and knelt beside her, careful of the broken glass. She quickly broke out a few cubes and gathered them in her hands. She moved Joey's hair out of the way and held the ice against the back of her neck and shoulders.  
  
"When did it start again?" Larissa asked softly. Joey tried to settle her breathing.  
  
"Just now." Joey said softly.  
  
"I thought you were done getting it." Larissa said softly. "You haven't since." Larissa's voice trailed off.  
  
"Since a few days before Lothor attacked the Academy." Joey said. Larissa looked at her worriedly.  
  
"Joey, your mom would always be the one who knew how to handle it.." She whispered. Joey took a deep breath.  
  
"It's OK. I'm sure this was just a one time thing." Joey said. Larissa looked at her again.  
  
"You sure?" She asked. Joey nodded.  
  
"Yah just help me to my room please?" She asked quietly. Larissa nodded. She stood up, placing the nearly melted ice in the sink. She helped Joey to her feet and helped her up the stairs to her room. Joey tore off the blankets on her bed and laid down. Larissa went over and opened the window as wide as it would go. She looked at Joey.  
  
"I'll get you some ice water." She said softly as she left. Joey looked after Larissa. 'Guess she's forgiven me' She thought out loud before sleep claimed her fiery body.  
  
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Hunter gently placed Summer down on his bed and kissed her softly. 'She's so beautiful' His mind told him, causing him to smile more. Summer looked at him.  
  
"So what's my first regal treatment?" She asked cutely. Hunter smiled.  
  
"Roll onto your stomach...you get a massage." He told her. Summer smiled.  
  
"Ok." She told him. She rolled onto her back and spread her arms out. Hunter leaned over and whispered in her ear.  
  
"You might want to change tops." He told her. Summer blushed three different shades of red. Pushing herself onto her knees, Summer shed her pink tank top and laid back down on the bed in her bra. Hunter just stared at her half naked body.  
  
"Something wrong?" She asked. Hunter gulped.  
  
"Uh..Perhaps...Massage...Wasn't a good idea." He muttered. Summer looked at him.  
  
"Why's that? It's just an innocent, PG-13 rated massage, right?" She asked.  
  
"I think we're surpassing PG-13." He said.  
  
"Again?" She joked. Hunter looked at her again and walked over to the window. "Hunter?" She asked. She sighed. "What is it with guys and the constant thoughts of sex?"  
  
"Hey, you try and tell me that if I was standing here half naked, you wouldn't be thinking the same." Hunter said defensively.  
  
"Hunter, sweetie, girls have self control." She smiled. "We're able to see nakedness and not get..well...Excited..." Hunter narrowed his eyes.  
  
"Oh really?" He asked. "Let's prove that." He said. He pulled his shirt off and let it drop on the floor. Summer stared at his chest.  
  
"Uh.....oh.....my" She said. Hunter smiled and stepped closer.  
  
"See what I meant?" He asked drawing her close and running his arms up and down hers. Summer was speechless. She just let her head rest in the center of his chest. 'I can't believe that I did that.' Her mind screamed. She turned her body around so her back was pressed against Hunter's chest and the front of his body. He wrapped his arms around her again and began kissing her should blades again.  
  
"We should stop." She said, but her tone showed she had no intention of stopping.  
  
"Do you want to?" He asked.  
  
"No." Summer said as she turned back to face him. The two fell back onto his bed, kissing passionately. Hunter's hand trailed up and down her back, careful not to touch her bruise. Summer let her hands explore his back, chest, shoulders and arms. Their kiss was escalating to more, when suddenly the phone rang. The two pulled apart a bit. "You should get that." She whispered. Hunter groaned. He reached over to his nightstand and picked up the phone.  
  
"What?" He growled.  
  
"Hunter? Is Summer there?" Came Larissa's voice. Hunter rolled his eyes and thrust the phone at Summer. "It's for you." He said sadly. Summer frowned.  
  
"What?" She also growled.  
  
"Geez...grumpy today are we?" Larissa replied. Summer sighed.  
  
"Hey Rissa....what's up?" Summer questioned. Larissa sighed.  
  
"Joey had an episode." She told Summer, who dropped the phone in shock. Hunter looked at her, worried. Summer blinked and picked up the phone.  
  
"Is she all right?" She asked. Larissa sighed.  
  
"She said she was...But, Summer, I've never seen her this bad." She said softly.  
  
"So, what happened?" Summer asked.  
  
"I found her sitting on the floor. I tried to call you, but she wouldn't let me, said to just give her some ice. So, I put ice on her neck. Then took her to her room. She's sleeping now. Summer, I'm really scared." Larissa said. Summer sighed and sat up.  
  
"Do you want me to come over?" Larissa sighed.  
  
"You coming over sometime today right?" She asked. Summer nodded.  
  
"Yeah I was going to get some of my stuff that I forgot." Summer replied. Larissa ran her fingers through her long hair.  
  
"Don't bother coming over till then." She said.  
  
"Alright...I'll see you then." Summer replied.  
  
"Bye." Larissa said. She hung up before Summer could respond. She punched the off button and tossed the phone onto the bed and went straight for Hunter's comforting arms.  
  
"What's wrong?" Hunter asked. Summer sighed.  
  
"It's Joey..She's...Sick." Summer said. Hunter looked at her.  
  
"The way you reacted to it, sounds like it's not just a little cold." He replied.  
  
"More like a fever." Summer replied. She looked at him, deciding to use her words carefully. "Joey's got this..uh....condition. She sometimes breaks out into these huge intense fevers and gets dizzy. We thought she was OK, because she hadn't had one in a while, but apparently we were wrong." Hunter nodded.  
  
"Want to go over now?" He asked gently. Summer shook her head.  
  
"Not yet no...I want to spend some more time with you...but first." She walked over to the phone and unplugged it. She also locked the door with the 'Do not Disturb' sign on the door.  
  
"Much better." She told him. Hunter laughed and pulled her back into bed with him. 


	12. Next Step

A/N: Hey this is the newest chapter. be warned that if you do not review that you like this story, Becky and myself will not be continuing. Also, the rating got shoved to R for obvious reasons. Joey's potty mouth being a big one. read and review!  
  
Chapter 12: Next step  
  
Hunter fell onto his bed, and Summer fell on top of him. Summer's block locks dumped off her shoulders and spilled into Hunter's face. He hooked his thumbs through the belt loops in Summer's jeans and kissed her neck. Summer giggled softly at his touch and wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his chest. Hunter kissed her neck and shoulder. Summer sighed.  
  
"So, I'm guessing we're leaving PG-13?" She asked. Hunter looked at her.  
  
"Only if you want to." He said softly, looking in her eyes. Summer smiled.  
  
"I do." She whispered. Hunter shifted their weight so they were lying on their sides. They kissed passionately. Summer slid her hands down to his pants. Hunter gently reached behind her, finding the clasp of her bra. Hunter unsnapped her bra and slowly pushed the straps off her shoulders kissing her tanned skin all the way down. Summer's hands fumbled with the button on Hunter's jeans, and finally managed to get it unhooked. She slowly pulled the zipper down and tried to push his jeans off his hips. Hunter stopped and reached over to his nightstand and pulled out a little foil package. Summer looked at him.  
  
"You planned this?" She joked, grinning wickedly. Hunter chuckled.  
  
"No, but...You know the saying, always be prepared...." Hunter smiled.  
  
"So you're saying you were expecting to get some action?" She smirked. Hunter kissed her. He unbuttoned her jeans and slid them off of her. Hunter pealed the rest of Summer's bra off her body and tossed it in the corner and began leaving tiny little kisses across her chest and stomach. He reached Summer's panties and stopped. He shed himself of his boxers and Summer of her panties. Summer and Hunter slowly made love. Summer felt like she was in heaven. Hunter's hands on her body felt like paradise. Everything felt right, beautiful, amazing.  
  
())))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))(((((  
  
Sometime later, the two lay in one another's embrace.  
  
"Wow..." Hunter breathed.  
  
"That was...."  
  
"Wow pretty much sums it up." Summer smiled. Hunter smiled at her. He pressed his lips gently to her's again. The kiss was filled with more passion and emotion than he had ever experienced from Summer.  
  
"I love you." Summer told him, as she drifted off to sleep. Hunter smiled and kissed her gently again.  
  
"I love you too Summer."  
  
)))))))))))((((((((((((((((  
  
Larissa looked at her watch. Summer would've been at the house by now. Joey was looking worse. Her sheets were drenched from her sweat, her face looked frighteningly pale. She was still unconscious. Larissa laid a cold compress to her head.  
  
"Joey, come on, snap out of it." Larissa begged softly.  
  
"Please?"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~((((Joey's Dream)))))))~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Joey lay on a black floor in a dark room. She looked around. There was fire all around her. She tried to get up, try to avoid it. She was afraid the fire would claim her. It was so warm...where was all the fire coming from. It was driving her wild because she couldn't do anything to stop the flames. She pushed herself up and saw little empty spaces where the fire hadn't touched and there lay Summer and Hunter intertwined between bed sheets.... in another was Blake and Tori holding hands...the next was Cam, who she'd only met once...after that was Larissa, laying on her face, her arms covering her head from the flames.... next to them was Dustin, laying on his back eyes closed. And the last pit was Shane's lifeless body. The flames crept closer and closer.  
  
"NO!" Joey's inner voice cried out. The flames continued to creep closer to Shane's body until they consumed his entire body, and he was no more.  
  
"That's my girl." Came a low haunting voice. She looked around the room.  
  
"Wh..... Who's there?" She asked. The voice just repeated that phrase over and over again. Joey pulled her knees to her chest, covering her ears.  
  
"Shut up! Shut up!" She sobbed.  
  
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Larissa watched Joey flip from side to side. She was so scared. She should call Summer, but she didn't know if she'd be at Hunter's place or not. Tears were leaking out of the corners of her eyes.  
  
"Please Joey.... please wake up." The Hawaiian girl sobbed.  
  
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Joey looked up and saw the flames where dying down. She stood up and went to Shane's body. "Shane?" She said softly, shaking his body.  
  
"Shane, please.... You can't be dead." Suddenly, light illuminated the room. She felt a hand on her shoulder. Joey gasped and looked up, only to see Shane's caring brown eyes. Joey stood up slowly. He reached out and touched her cheek gently. Her eyes drifted shut. His touch filled her with a soft cooling sensation. It felt so calm, so refreshing. Joey placed her hand on top of his and smiled softly. Suddenly Shane disappeared and Joey was left standing in a dark room.  
  
" Please wake up Joey!" A voice called. 'Wake up?' Joey though. 'I am awake' She said. A though struck her. Joey closed her eyes in her inner dimensions.  
  
))))))))))(((((((((((  
  
Joey's eyes shot open in the real world. She began looking around and saw Larissa kneeling by her bed crying her eyes out. Joey reached out and patted Larissa on the head.  
  
"I'm back." Joey told her. Larissa's head snapped up.  
  
"Joey?" She asked.  
  
"Oh god.... Joey!" She jumped up onto the bed and wrapped her arms around Joey. Joey gave a soft laugh and hugged her back weakly. She blinked and looked at her.  
  
"How long was I out?" She asked. Larissa looked at her.  
  
"Almost two hours." She said. Joey sighed.  
  
"Wow, a new record." She said bitterly. Larissa looked at her.  
  
"That's not funny. You scared me to death." She said. Joey sighed.  
  
"I'm sorry." She said. Larissa looked at her.  
  
"I told Summer you were having an episode."  
  
"What? I told you not to call her."  
  
"Yeah, right, you looked as white as snow and were sweating like a Christmas ham, of course I wasn't going to tell Summer." Larissa replied sarcastically. Joey rolled her eyes.  
  
"Is sarcasm like a new way of life for you Rissa?" She asked. Larissa chuckled.  
  
"Naw...just like messing with people..." She replied. Joey smiled.  
  
"Are you still angry with me?" Joey asked quietly. Larissa looked at her. She sighed and shook her head.  
  
"No. I just.... I hate it when you try to boss us all around. And you had no right to say those things about Summer and Hunter. I know you don't trust guys, but not all guys are put on this earth to cause pain. Hunter's different."  
  
"I'm just looking out for you guys. And Hunter is going to hurt Summer, I know it. All guys do." "Joey, if and when that happens, Summer will deal with it. She's happy right now. Don't you think she deserves to be happy?"  
  
"What she needs is to be warned in case he does leave her!" Joey exclaimed. Larissa sighed.  
  
"We'll come to that bridge when we come to it Jo." She replied.  
  
)))))))))))(((((((((((  
  
Summer awoke warm, and naked. Flashes of her and Hunter making love played back in her mind. Smiling she untangled herself from the sheet and pulled on the first thing she saw, which happened to be an overly large shirt of Hunter's. She wandered towards the bathroom. She closed the door but didn't lock it. She turned the taps on and sunk herself into the tub to relax...maybe Hunter would come in and wash her back for her. Hunter awoke to the sound of running water. He looked over at where Summer had been laying and saw an empty space. Pulling on his boxers, he sauntered towards the bathroom. Opening the door he got a whiff of a strawberry smell. 'Must be her bubble bath.' He thought. Sure enough, when Hunter opened the door fully, there lay Summer, eyes closed up to her neck in bubbles. Summer heard the door open and looked over to see Hunter.  
  
"Hey." She smiled. Hunter smiled and went over to her. He kneeled by her head and leaned in, kissing her softly.  
  
"Hey." He replied. He stroked her cheek gently. Summer grinned.  
  
"Care to join me?" She asked seductively. Hunter laughed.  
  
"Well, if you insist." He replied. Summer sat up and scooted forward a bit as Hunter removed his boxers and got into the tub, sitting behind her. He put his arms around her body and pulled her close, her back pressing against his chest.  
  
"Just so you know, I now intend to never let you leave this house." He said jokingly. Summer giggled.  
  
"If staying here includes lots and lots of this, you and Blake just might have a new roommate." She smiled.  
  
"Good. I want you to stay here." He told her running his fingers across her chest and stomach. He put his head on her neck and lightly bit her behind her ear. Summer drew patters along his arm with her fingers and smiled. Summer sighed.  
  
"I can't." She said. Hunter stopped.  
  
"What? But you just said." "I'd love to move in with you, lord knows I do, but, I can't. I can't just leave Larissa and Joey, especially now."  
  
"What do you mean?" He asked.  
  
"Well, if Joey's getting sick again, then Larissa's going to need me there." Summer said. Hunter looked at her.  
  
"What is it that she has? Like, has a doctor ever diagnosed her?" He asked. Summer looked at him.  
  
"Larissa told me her mom did when Joey was a kid. Took her to a lot of doctors, they were stumped." She said.  
  
"So it's like it never existed then?" Hunter asked. Summer nodded.  
  
"Yeah... She goes all hot, like she's on fire and she... It's hard to explain... I should be close to them though." Summer told him. Hunter sighed.  
  
"Please stay a little longer?" Hunter questioned. Summer nodded.  
  
"Of course I will." Hunter smiled and kissed her neck.  
  
"By the way, I said something to you as you were falling asleep, I don't know if you heard me." He said. Summer shook her head.  
  
"I didn't, what is it?" She asked.  
  
"I love you." He whispered. Summer smiled and turned to face him.  
  
"And you're not just saying that because we had sex and we are currently naked, right?" She asked jokingly. Hunter chuckled.  
  
"Oh yeah, if we hadn't had sex, I would've dumped you." He replied. He pulled her close and kissed her passionately. Summer responded to the kiss with equal feelings. Summer pulled away.  
  
"What did you mean by that?" She asked. Hunter smiled.  
  
"Of course not... What kind of person would I be if I slept with my girlfriend and then dumped her?" He said kissing her neck softly again. Summer nodded and smiled.  
  
"Your right...I'm sorry I got bent outta shape about it." Summer sighed.  
  
"Maybe Joey's paranoia about guys is rubbing off on me." She said. Hunter looked at her, suddenly remembering something.  
  
"What time did you tell Larissa you'd be over?" He asked.  
  
"I didn't, I figured we'd be over in like a hour." She looked at her watch.  
  
"And three hours have passed, shit." She looked at him.  
  
"We should go." She said. Hunter looked at her.  
  
"Didn't you say you were going to shower then go over?" He asked. Summer mentally cursed herself again.  
  
"Yah... I did... So I'll shower, then go over." She compromised with herself, smiling. Hunter grinned.  
  
"Can I shower with you?" He asked non-chantilly. Summer pulled the curtains shut and turned the showerhead on and began washing her hair.  
  
))))))))))((((((((((  
  
Hunter wandered back into his bedroom and inhaled. The room smelt like spent passion. It smelled like him and Summer. He loved the way she smelt. Like bubblegum and strawberries. Walking over to his bed, Hunter peeled back the sheets and rolled them into a ball. Hunter put it in a bag with the rest of his laundry he was going to wash, at some point. He heard Summer's voice from the shower.  
  
"Hmm, never figured her as someone who sung in the shower." He said, lovingly amused. Hunter snuck back into the bathroom and listened to Summer sing.  
  
"Now I will tell you what I've done for you 50 thousand tears I've cried screaming deceiving and bleeding for you and you still won't hear me don't want your hand this time I'll save myself maybe I'll wake up for once not tormented daily defeated by you just when I thought I'd reached the bottom I'm dying again  
  
I'm going under drowning in you I'm falling forever I've got to break through I'm going under  
  
blurring and stirring the truth and the lies So I don't know what's real and what's not always confusing the thoughts in my head So I can't trust myself anymore I'm dying again  
  
I'm going under drowning in you I'm falling forever I've got to break through  
  
so go on and scream scream at me I'm so far away I won't be broken again I've got to breathe I can't keep going under."  
  
"You have a beautiful voice." Hunter said. Summer gasped. She pulled her head out of the curtains.  
  
"How long have you been standing there?" She asked.  
  
"About the middle of the first verse." He smirked. Summer blushed three different shades of red again.  
  
"I can't believe you were listening." She told him, throwing her shampoo bottle at him. Hunter dodged the flying projectile and jumped into the other end of the shower, shedding himself of his towel.  
  
"I though I told you to stay out." She joked drawing her fingers around his chest. Hunter pulled her close.  
  
"I don't play fair." He whispered in her ear. Summer sighed.  
  
"We're never going to leave this house, are me?" She asked.  
  
"Is that so bad?" He replied, kissing her. Summer looked at her.  
  
"Guess not." She whispered. ())))))))))))))))))))))))))))((((((((((()))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) ))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))  
  
Larissa and Joey sat in the kitchen. Joey drank her fifth class of ice water in a row.  
  
"You ok?" Larissa asked. Joey nodded.  
  
"Yeah, just. You know, insides still feeling a little fiery." She said.  
  
"How did you come out of it?" She asked. Joey looked down, unsure what to say.  
  
"I...Uh...Heard you..." She said. Larissa looked at her, she knew there was something more.  
  
"Joey." She said. "Tell me." "Promise not to laugh?" Joey asked quietly. Larissa nodded.  
  
"Shane saved me... He brought me back into the light and then disappeared." Joey told her. Larissa looked like she was going to have a cow. She bursts out laughing.  
  
"Shane... rescued... you... HAHAHAH!" Larissa coughed out. Joey glared at her.  
  
"What part of 'promise not to laugh' didn't you get?" She growled. Larissa tried to stop laughing. She took a deep breath and looked at her.  
  
"I'm sorry.." She said, trying to stifle a giggle. "What do you think it means?" She asked. Joey shrugged.  
  
"Hell if I know." Joey replied.  
  
"It was so weird. I was like, in this room, it was dark and everything, and there was fire all around me, inching closer and closer. Then, right outside the fire, I saw you, Summer, Hunter, Tori, Blake, Cam, Dustin and Shane. Shane was lying on the floor...And....And I saw the flames coming towards him. I got freaked. The fire seemed to consume him or something. And then I sat up and heard this voice.I.I don't remember what it was saying...And then I went over to Shane. He looked dead. Then I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up and Shane was standing there, smiling. I got up and he just touched my cheek.... And suddenly I felt so cool, like my veins where filled with cool breezes. And that's when I heard you, and I made myself wake up." Larissa looked at Joey.  
  
"That's really weird..." Larissa told her. Joey snorted.  
  
"You don't have to tell me that... I had the dream!" Larissa smirked.  
  
"Maybe you're in love with him." She said. Joey glared at her.  
  
"And maybe you want my foot in your ass." Joey replied. Larissa chuckled. Joey stood up. Larissa looked at her.  
  
"Where are you going?" She asked.  
  
"Out, I need some fresh air." She said. Larissa looked at her.  
  
"Are you sure you should leave? What if it happens again?"  
  
"If it does, I'll come back." Joey shrugged. She went to leave.  
  
"Take a bottle of water with you." Larissa said. Joey grabbed the bottle of water.  
  
"Yes mother!" She said smiling. Larissa rolled her eyes.  
  
"Hey if Summer drops by.... tell her I said hi for me please?" Joey asked. Larissa nodded.  
  
"Yah I can tell her... if and when she shows up."  
  
())))))))))))))))))))))))((((((((( Joey walked around the city. She ended up at a skate park. She didn't really pay attention to what was going on around her and just walked around.  
  
"Hey, there sweetie." Said one of the skate guys as she walked past. Joey stopped and turned on him.  
  
"Excuse me?" She asked. The guy grinned.  
  
"I said, 'hey there, sweetie.' What's a fine honey like yourself doing walking all by her lonesome?" He asked flirtatiously. Joey cocked an eyebrow.  
  
"Wow, with a pickup line like that, I can't even imagine why girls wouldn't just drape themselves all over you." Joey shot back sarcastically. "Ooo, I like girls with bite." The guy grinned. He snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her close to him. Joey growled.  
  
"Let go of me!" She said, pushing against him.  
  
()))))))))))))  
  
Shane was on the skate ramp about to skate down.  
  
"Let go of me!" Shouted a familiar voice yell. He stepped back and looked over to see Joey struggling against some guy who was holding her against him. Shane's eyes narrowed angrily as he came down the ramp.  
  
())))))))))))))))))(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((  
  
"Aw come on, this playing hard to get shit gets old pretty fast." The guy smirked.  
  
"Fuck you!" Joey snarled as her knee shot up, hitting him in the groin. The guy groaned painfully and stumbled back. She smacked him in the face with her water bottle.  
  
"Ah! You little bitch!" The guy went to hit her. Joey got into a fighting stance. Something grabbed the guy's arm from behind.  
  
"Didn't your mother ever tell you not to hit girls?!" Shane growled as he threw the guy aside. The guy glared at Shane. He glared at Joey.  
  
"Fuck it, bitch ain't worth it anyway." He said, spitting at Joey's direction. He turned and walked away. Shane looked at Joey.  
  
"You OK?" He asked. Joey looked at him and blinked. 'Here he is, saving me again...Or well.... not...whatever.' She thought.  
  
"Yeah...I'm fine...." She said. Shane looked at her.  
  
"Although, I've seen you fight, you could've taken that guy, something wrong?" He asked. Joey looked at him and simply shrugged.  
  
"Guess he was strong." She said. Truthfully, she knew what was wrong. But she wasn't about to tell Shane about her condition. Shane looked at her.  
  
"OK, you've been able to kick my ass, you're like Wonder Woman." Shane said with a smile. Joey smirked.  
  
"No, Shane, you're just a pansy." She replied.  
  
"Ouch." He replied "Anyway, where are you off too?" He asked.  
  
"Why are you so interested?" She asked. Shane smiled.  
  
"No reason, just curious." He replied.  
  
"Curious about the girl you just called Wonder Woman?" She smirked.  
  
"Do you always answer a question with a question or sarcasm?" He asked. Joey laughed.  
  
"Of course, it helps me keep my air of mystery." Joey smiled. Shane laughed.  
  
"Glad to see you've taken my advice." He said. Joey looked at him blankly.  
  
"Excuse me?" She asked.  
  
"About smiling more." He said.  
  
"You really do look beautiful when you do." Joey looked away.  
  
"Whatever." She replied as she turned and walked away. Shane followed.  
  
"I'm sorry, I didn't know getting compliments offended you."  
  
"They don't. But I don't need or want compliments from you." Joey sighed.  
  
"Why's that?" He asked. Joey stared at him, unsure how to reply.  
  
"Because...." She began. "Because you're an idiot." She said.  
  
"That is such a bullshit reason." Shane said.  
  
"Well, how fitting, since that's exactly what you're full of, bullshit."  
  
"Why are you always so cold and distant?" Shane asked. Joey shrugged.  
  
"I'm not cold and distant to my friends... which by the way, you aren't." Joey retorted. Shane sighed.  
  
"Instead of pushing everyone away, why not let them in?" He questioned. Joey looked at him.  
  
"Letting a person in requires trust, and when I meet someone who I can trust, I'll do it." She replied. Shane looked at her.  
  
"Well, what does someone have to do to gain your trust?" He asked.  
  
"Why do you want to know? It's not like I'm going to trust you." Joey replied.  
  
"And why's that?" Shane asked.  
  
"Because I don't trust males." She simply said, as if it was completely normal.  
  
"Because of your dad, right?" Shane asked. Joey gave him a sharp look.  
  
"I prefer mom's sperm donor, since that's all he really was. He got her pregnant, and just left."  
  
"True. When they're kids, they're harmless. Once they reach... Hmm.... Age 16 or so, that's when they're the enemy."  
  
"I'm not like that." He restated, staring into her eyes. Joey blinked.  
  
"I'd rather not take that chance." She replied.  
  
"Life is chance." Shane insisted.  
  
"You can't just live your life sheltered because you're afraid of getting hurt. What your fathe-" Joey looked at him sharply.  
  
"What the guy who got your mother pregnant did to you was wrong, spineless, and generally not right. But not all males are just going to leave someone when they are needed the most. Not all males are emotionally retarded assholes who lack even a shred of dignity and responsibility." Shane rolled his eyes.  
  
"Fine, so you don't trust me, or any other males for that matter." He repeated. Joey nodded.  
  
"Ding ding ding, we have a winner!" She replied sarcastically. Shane shook his head. Shane looked at her.  
  
"I wish you'd see that some males are different." He said softly. He sighed and turned, walking away from her. Joey watched him leave. 


	13. The one who wasn't supposed to be born

Joey stared after Shane.  
  
"What did he mean by that?" She whispered out loud. Shaking her head Joey set off towards, somewhere, anywhere besides the skate park at the present moment. Her thoughts kept slamming around in her mind. 'Do I like him?' Being a key one.  
  
))))))))))(((((((((()))))))))))))))(((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))) ))))((((((((((((((((((((((((((((  
  
Shane didn't walk very far when he ran into Dustin.  
  
"Dude, you look.... weird." Dustin told him. Shane snorted.  
  
"Thanks man...I feel weird." Shane replied. Dustin tilted his head and looked at Shane.  
  
"You had a run in with the wicked witch of the west didn't you?" Dustin asked. Shane glared at him.  
  
"She has a name ya know! It's Joey!" Shane replied defensively. Dustin put his hand up in the air.  
  
"Ok ok... geez if I didn't know any better, I'd say you like her." He said. Shane looked away. Dustin's eyebrows shot up. "You do? Ah, man. Bad choice, I mean, she's cold and, well, just plain mean." Shane glared at Dustin and towered over him.  
  
"This coming from a guy who's in love with Lothor's niece?" He asked lowly. Dustin glared at him.  
  
"Low blow, man, totally low." Dustin snarled as he pushed past Shane. Shane sighed. He looked at Dustin.  
  
"I didn't mean it-"  
  
"Screw you!" Dustin yelled, giving Shane the finger. He continued walking away. Shane rolled his eyes.  
  
"The day just went from shitty, to shitter." The red wind ranger sighed. Shane ran his hands over his face and began walking towards the beach. Kicking rocks was now a new hobby of Shane's, when he wasn't messing up his friendships with other people... Maybe Tori would be able to help him.... he hoped to God he wouldn't be able to mess that friendship up.  
  
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Tori jogged back from the waves carrying her surfboard. As she got closer to her stuff, she saw Blake standing there with a loving smile on his face. Tori smiled and jogged the rest of the way a little faster.  
  
"Hey." She said, swiping her wet hair out of her face. "I thought you had to work today."  
  
"My shift ended fifteen minutes ago." He said.  
  
"So, you decided to come here?" She asked with a smile.  
  
"I figured you'd be here." He said, smiling. He stepped closer to her and gave her a kiss on her lips. "I've been wanting to do that all day." He said softly. Tori grinned.  
  
"Same here." She whispered happily. Blake took Tori's surf bored and grabbed her other hand. Tori picked her stuff up and slipped a pair of blue shorts over her bathing suit and wandered along the beach with Blake.  
  
"So how was work?" Tori asked non-chantly. Blake shrugged.  
  
"Boring... Hunter and Summer had the day off, and Dustin only had to work a few hours... So it was me and Kelly for most of the day, and a very empty and dead store. We had like no business today." He told her. Tori giggled.  
  
"Aw, poor Blake... All cooped up with nothing to do." She giggled. Blake rolled his eyes at his girlfriend.  
  
"Well, I'm free now." He said. He stopped walking and turned to face her.  
  
"Free is good." Tori smiled as she wrapped her arms around his neck and crushed her lips to his with such force that he knocked him back onto the sand. They both laughed a bit as they continued kissing. Blake held her around her small waist.  
  
"Tor..Whoa!" Came a voice. Blake and Tori pulled away a bit to see Shane standing there.  
  
"Shane..'Sup buddy?" Blake asked. Tori got off of him and stood up. Blake got up.  
  
"When did this happen.?" Shane asked, pointing at the two of them. He shook his head. "Forget it." He said. "Tori...can we....uh....talk?" Shane asked quietly. Tori looked at Shane.  
  
"Blake I'll be back in a bit..." She told her boyfriend kissing him lightly on the lips. Blake nodded. Tori went over to Shane and they began walking down the way Shane had come down the beach.  
  
"What's on your mind Shane?" Tori asked. Sighing, Shane turned and looked at her.  
  
"I just totally destroyed my friendship with Dustin, and I think I like that Joey girl." Shane answered. Tori stepped back in surprise. What had he done to make Dustin so mad....and he though he liked Joey?! That was new. Tori let out a low whistle.  
  
"Ok...what happened between you and Dustin?" She asked. Shane ran his hands over his face.  
  
"He mentioned that Joey was cold, and just plain mean, and I retorted saying that he was in love with Marah...and he got pissed off about that...calling it a 'low-blow'." Tori sighed.  
  
"Well, it was." She said. "You know how much Dustin's giving himself grief for that one."  
  
"Yeah, I know." Shane said, looking down. Tori tilted his face up.  
  
"Hey, I'm not saying you're like some horrible person for saying it." She said. She smiled. "I think it's cute that you stood up for Joey." Shane blushed.  
  
"You really think so?" He asked. Tori nodded.  
  
"Yeah, it's not everyday a guy stands up for a girl he likes...it's very rare actually." Tori told him. Shane nodded.  
  
"So what do I do now?" He asked. Tori tilted her head.  
  
"I have no idea...but someone's going to have to talk to Dustin about this...maybe...just maybe he'll forgive you." Tori told him, patting his arm gently. Shane smiled.  
  
"Thanks Tor. You're the greatest." He said. Tori smiled.  
  
"I try." She said. She looked at him. "I'll try talking to Dustin for you. I can see you've got a lot of thinking to do." She said. Shane nodded and sighed.  
  
"Yeah, I do. Thanks." He said.  
  
"Hey...no problem." Tori replied hugging him. Shane smiled and hugged her back. "Well.....now that that's finished... I should go find Dustin...." Tori said. Shane nodded and sighed.  
  
"Thanks again Tor....you don't know how much it means to me..." He told her. Tori tilted her head and gave him a half smile.  
  
"I have an idea." She replied laughing. Shane smiled. He saw Blake standing by Tori's things, watching her. Shane looked at her.  
  
"I'll leave you and uh.Blake, alone." He said. Tori laughed softly.  
  
"Thank you." She said. Shane looked at her, a small smirk forming.  
  
"So, are you guys an item now?" He asked.  
  
"Shane." Tori said sternly. Shane laughed softly. He turned and walked away. Tori laughed and shook her head. She walked back over to Blake.  
  
"Hey, everything OK?" He asked. Tori nodded.  
  
"Yeah, Shane is just having some issues." She said.  
  
"Nothing too serious, I hope." Blake said, concerned for his friend and fellow ranger. Tori smiled at how caring he was.  
  
"No, it's OK." She said.  
  
Blake smiled.  
  
"That's my girl... Tori the guidance counselor." He joked. Tori rolled her eyes and smacked him.  
  
"OW! What was that for?" Blake cried. Tori giggled.  
  
"I dunno.... Probably for something you will do sooner or later." Tori laughed. Blake jumped up.  
  
"Not fair!" he cried jokingly. Tori screeched and took of running down the beach, Blake trailing close behind her.  
  
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Shane walked along the woods. He had a lot to think about. He went towards the brick stove and such, a place that held so much to him. It was where he met Skyla as a child, where she "died", and where he had met Joey, and seen her many times....And apparently this would be another one of those times, as he saw Joey sitting against a tree.  
  
"Hey." He said softly, walking over. Joey turned her head and looked at him.  
  
"Oh, my own personal stalker, she joked with a smirk. Shane sat next to her.  
  
"Don't flatter yourself." He responded. Joey rolled her eyes.  
  
"What can I do for you stalker?" She asked jokingly. Shane shrugged.  
  
"I dunno....I just wanted to talk I guess." He replied.  
  
"About?" She asked. Shane looked at her.  
  
"I..I don't know." He said. "Just..Talk I guess." He said. Joey gave him an odd look.  
  
"Anyone ever tell you that you're very peculiar?" She asked. Shane chuckled slightly.  
  
"No, but I'll take it as a compliment." He replied.  
  
"Take it whatever way you'd like to." She said. She looked at him. "Why is it so important to you for me to trust you?" She asked, suddenly serious. Shane blinked.  
  
"I..I don't know, no reason I guess. I just, want to be friends." He said. 'Or maybe more...' he thought to himself. Joey tilted her head at him.  
  
"You want to be friends? Are you sure I'm not dangerous to your health?" She asked. Shane snorted.  
  
"Oh I'm more afraid of Summer." He replied. Joey laughed. "That girl's got a dangerous grip." Shane said, wincing at the memory. Joey caught on to what he meant and burst out laughing.  
  
"She did the nut-grab on you?" She asked, between laughs. "I thought her that one."  
  
"OK, fine, you're both scary." Shane said.  
  
"We're like sisters. Me, Summer and Larissa. We're family. And no one messes with someone's family and gets away with it." Joey said.  
  
"I understand that." Shane said. He looked at her. "I really am sorry for hitting you, and I'm not just saying it because of impending pain from you or your 'sisters'." Joey sighed.  
  
"Don't bother. I know I was acting bitchy, I mean, not that I'm apologizing, mind you, but, I understand why you did it."  
  
"Well, you shouldn't have to." He said. "What I did was wrong, and you shouldn't 'understand' it." He said. Joey looked at him suspiciously.  
  
"You trying to prove something to me?" She asked, her eyes narrowing.  
  
"Huh?" He asked. Joey snorted and stood up.  
  
"This act to try to convince me that you're some caring male is totally transparent, so just drop it." She said. Shane stood up.  
  
"It's not an act." He said.  
  
"Whatever." Joey replied. She went to leave, then stopped, suddenly feeling dizzy again. 'Oh no, not now, not here..' Her mind shrieked. "I've got to go.AGH!" She screamed as she doubled over in pain, her insides feeling like they were on fire.  
  
"JO!" Shane went to her side instantly. "Are you all right?" He asked gently. Joey hugged herself around her middle trying not to cry.  
  
"Do I look alright?" She snarled at Shane. Shane opened his mouth to say something again, but was cut off by Joey screeching in pain again. Joey made a grab for his hand and squeezed it tightly.  
  
"Joey....what's wrong?" He asked gently. Joey squeezed her eyes shut again.  
  
"It...burns!" She cried out, the tears flowing freely now. Shane didn't know what to do. He silently pulled her back into his arms, letting her head and back rest against his chest. He put his arms around her. "Please...Make it st..stop..." Joey sobbed. Shane held her close.  
  
"I don't know what's wrong..Joey, tell me what's going on." He whispered gently.  
  
"It hurts so much..." Joey whispered, digging her nails into Shane's arm. Shane lifted his one arm to Joey's forehead. She was burning up. Gently picking her up, Shane ran as fast as he could, carrying Joey.  
  
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"Larissa!" Came a voice from outside. Larissa was sitting in the kitchen. She stood up and went to the front door.  
  
"Who's there?" She asked.  
  
"It's Shane, open up, something's wrong with Joey." He said franticly. Larissa's eyes widened as she threw the door opened to see Shane carrying Joey.  
  
"Oh my god.." Larissa whispered. Frantically trying to get both Shane and Joey through the door Larissa asked.  
  
"When did this happen?" Shane shrugged.  
  
"About 10-15 minutes ago. We were chatting in the woods and she went to walk away and like fell over." He told Larissa who nodded. Joey gave a low moan and more tears slipped down her cheeks.  
  
"Shane, put her down on the couch and wait there.... I'll be right back." Larissa told him. Shane did what he was told. He gently placed Joey on the couch.  
  
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Larissa tore into the kitchen and grabbed the ice from the freezer. As she was headed back out to the living room, she snatched the portable phone off its holder and punched in the number for Hunter's house.  
  
"Hello?" Came an annoyed voice.  
  
"Summer, I don't know what you're doing at Hunter's, and frankly, I don't give a fuck, but you better get your ass over here right now!" Larissa snarled.  
  
"Lar, what's wrong?" Summer asked.  
  
"Joey's having another episode, and I could really use your help. Now, stop whatever it is your doing, and get over here, NOW!"  
  
"OK, ok, I'm on my way." Summer said.  
  
"You better be!" Larissa said as she turned off the phone. She tossed it on the counter and rushed back to the living room. Shane was gently holding Joey's hand. Larissa kneeled by her. Joey's eyes were squeezed shut from the intense pain she was feeling. "Joey," Larissa said gently. "I just called Summer, she's on her way. You just need to relax, OK?"  
  
"I can't!" Joey sobbed. "It hurts so much."  
  
"What's wrong with her?" Shane asked. Larissa sighed. She thrusted some ice cubes in his hands.  
  
"Be useful, OK? Just shut up and put some ice on her." Larissa said. Shane placed the ice against Joey's forehead. Shane wasn't pressing the ice against Joey's head very hard, actually he was pressing very lightly, but before his eyes he watched as the ice quickly melted down Joey's face.  
  
"Larissa....what's wrong with Joey?" He asked quietly as he reached for more ice. Larissa sighed.  
  
"There's no proper diagnosis for it, but lets just say her insides, like the inner part of her body, feel like they are on fire..." Larissa said quietly as Joey screeched in pain again.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Shane asked. "How is that possible?"  
  
"Can we please save the fucking explanations for later!" Joey screamed. Larissa grabbed some ice and placed it against Joey's neck.  
  
"I don't know how it's possible, it just is, OK?" Larissa said, looking at Shane. "Now, are you just going to stand there like a clueless idiot and ask questions, or are you going to help me?" She said through gritted teeth.  
  
"I'm sorry." Shane said. He grabbed some ice and held it against her shoulder. The ice he held and the ice Larissa held soon melted.  
  
"Shit. This isn't working." Larissa muttered.  
  
"Gee..Ah...Ya think?" Joey said. Larissa looked at her.  
  
"We need to try something else." Larissa said. She looked up at Shane. "Stay with her a bit, and if Summer gets here, tell her I'm in Joey's bathroom." She said as she rushed to the kitchen, grabbed as many ice trays she could carry and ran up the stairs. Shane looked at Joey. He grabbed some ice and placed it against her forehead.  
  
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Summer sped to the house. Hunter had insisted on coming with her, and she wasn't really in the place to argue. They finally got there and jumped out of the car. They ran into the house to see Shane holding ice against Joey.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Summer asked.  
  
"He..Ah...Brought me here...." Joey said through her pain. Hunter stood back, stunned.  
  
"Where's Larissa?" Summer asked.  
  
"She said to tell you she's in Joey's bathroom." Shane said. Summer cursed under her breath.  
  
"Hunter, help me." Summer said as she went to the kitchen. Hunter followed. He looked at Summer.  
  
"When you mentioned this before, I thought it was just a little fever..You didn't say anything this major." Hunter said. Summer sighed.  
  
"Well, now you know." She said as she opened the freezer and gave him some ice trays. She grabbed a bunch herself. "Follow me." She said as she went up the stairs. Hunter sighed and followed. Summer practically flew into the bathroom and almost tripped over Larissa, who was filling the tub up slowly with ice cubes and freezing cold water. Summer cracked the ice- cube tray over her knee and dumped into the tub.  
  
"What the hell took you so long?" Larissa snarled. Summer repeated the process and dumped another tray in.  
  
"I slept in." She mumbled back. Larissa rolled her eyes and pushed herself up and looked at Summer. Shaking her head she went to the door, almost crashing into Hunter.  
  
"It'd better not happen again Summer... Joey can't control these, and you should have been over here when the first one happened." Larissa snapped. Summer drew back.  
  
"I'm sorry Rissa..." Summer tried to explain.  
  
"Don't even bother Summer... its probably some fucking lame excuse anyways." Larissa snarled again storming downstairs. Summer tilted her head downwards, tears welling in her eyes.  
  
"Hey...it's not your fault Summer." Hunter said. Summer's head snapped up and looked at him.  
  
"Yes it is!" She screamed.  
  
"I should have been here after the first attack." Summer continued screaming, the tears now flowing freely. Dropping the tray into the tub, Summer sunk down to the floor, her nails and hands gripping the sleeves of her shirt.  
  
"I'm such a bad friend." She whispered. Hunter went to comfort her, but was interrupted by Larissa barging back in with Shane carrying Joey. Summer got up and tried to compose herself.  
  
"Put her down on the toilet seat, we've got to get her clothes off." Larissa said. Shane placed Joey down. Joey looked up at Shane and Hunter.  
  
"You two even..think...of..looking, and you're dead." She mumbled.  
  
"People, give me a hand here!" Larissa yelled. Summer went over. The two pulled her shoes off and unbuttoned her jeans. Shane went over and pulled Joey's shirt over her head. Hunter helped Shane lift Joey up a bit so the girls could pull her pants off. Joey was now in black short-like underwear and a black bra.  
  
"Get her in the tub." Summer said. Shane lifted Joey up and slowly lowered her into the icy cold water.  
  
"Gah! COLD!" Screeched Joey. Shane nearly dropped her the rest of the way into the tub. Once Joey had been fully placed into the tub, Larissa practically shoved Shane and Hunter out the door. She had meant to shove Summer out too, but Summer's lower back collided with the corner of the sink, causing her to be rooted to the spot. Larissa glared at her.  
  
"Leave." She growled. Summer looked at her.  
  
"I'm not leaving... I'm going to help Joey." She fought back. Larissa snorted.  
  
"The only way you can help, is by leaving Summer....get out." Larissa said, moving Summer then shoving her out into the hall. Summer caught herself and marched back towards the door.  
  
"I'm not leaving." She said, pushing against the door, trying to get back in. Larissa flung the door open.  
  
"You'll leave this hallway yourself unless I have to do it myself!" Larissa screeched, shoving Summer hard. Summer's foot caught on the bottom of the rug, causing her to fall. She would have hit the floor, but crashed into Hunter's arms. Larissa slammed the door and locked it. Summer began kicking furiously at the door.  
  
"LET ME IN LARISSA!" She screeched loudly.  
  
"You were so hell-bent on leaving yesterday, so, why don't you just do that, leave!" Larissa screamed.  
  
"You're not being fair!" Summer yelled.  
  
"Oh, like it was fair to not show up earlier? Fuck you, Summer!" Larissa yelled. Joey looked at Larissa.  
  
"Ris.." She called. Larissa went to her side. Joey's eyes were barely opened.  
  
"What is it? Are you OK? Do you need anything?" She asked. Joey nodded. "What?" Larissa asked.  
  
"I get it, I'm a total hag when I try to take control of everything, you can stop doing an impression of me." Joey said softly.  
  
"What are you talking about? Summer abandoned us! She left to shack up with her little boyfriend!" Larissa exclaimed. Joey reached over and took her hand. Larissa flinched a bit at how cold her hand was, but looked at Joey anyway.  
  
"There's only room for one evil bitch in this house, and that position is filled by me, so let Summer in." She said softly. Larissa shook her head. Joey squeezed Larissa's hand. "Lar, I'm going to come out of this, and I'm going to be feeling better, and you don't want me to be pissed at you when I am, so knock it off." She said sternly. Larissa glared at her.  
  
"Fine." She said lowly. She went over to the door and opened it. Summer looked at her. "Apparently you're Joey's new bestest friend." She said bitterly. She shoved past Summer and the guys and went to her room, slamming her door shut. Summer, Shane and Hunter walked into the bathroom. Summer kneeled by Joey's side.  
  
"I'm sorry." She said softly, tears leaking down her cheeks. "I should've been here sooner. I shouldn't have left."  
  
"Sum, I'm too tired to get into this now.." Joey whispered.  
  
Summer sniffed and nodded.  
  
"How you feeling?" Summer asked. Joey looked at her.  
  
"I feel like I'm now sitting in a bed of ice, but that's better than boiling to death." Joey joked. Summer smiled sadly.  
  
"I am really sorry Joey....I just....I just don't know what to do...part of me wants to make sure your ok....another part wants to beat Larissa...but I know I shouldn't because it's my fault.....if I wouldn't have left...." Summer began. Joey mumbled something.  
  
"What Joey?" Summer asked. Joey sniffed.  
  
"Don't get into it.... after i cool down....your going to leave and come back later, and we'll all sit down and discuss this." Joey told her. Summer nodded. Shane and Hunter simply stood there, unsure what to do. Joey sighed. She felt herself beginning to feel better. Shane slowly sat down next to Summer by Joey's side. Hunter sat behind Summer, rubbing a comforting hand on her back.  
  
"You really scared me." Shane said. "I had no idea what was wrong."  
  
"I'm OK, or at least, getting there." Joey muttered tiredly. "This is the first time I've had two attacks in a day." She said softly to herself.  
  
"It's going to be OK." Summer said.  
  
"I'm so tired.." Joey whispered. "Just want to sleep." And with that, Joey softly drifted off to sleep.  
  
"Should she do that? Sleeping in the tub, I mean." Hunter said. Summer sighed and leaned back against Hunter.  
  
"It's OK. She's done this before. I remember sometimes at the.." Summer stopped herself; she was about to say 'at the academy.' "Sometimes, back home." She corrected herself. "Her attacks would get so intense, her mom would put her in a tub of cold water. Her mom would usually let her sleep in it for the night. She'd just stay by her side, making sure Joey didn't slip under the water or something."  
  
"So what do we do now?" Shane asked. Summer shrugged.  
  
"Honestly....I don't know....She hasn't had a massive attack like this in a while, and when she had the attack earlier, Larissa took care of her... So most likely...I'm going to be staying here tonight," Summer replied. Shane and Hunter looked at each other.  
  
"Were staying with you." They both said at the same time. Summer shook her head.  
  
"You guys don't have to do that...I can take care of her by myself." She told them both.  
  
Hunter kissed her cheek.  
  
"We want to stay and help." He told her gently. Summer sighed.  
  
"OK." She said. She paused and looked at them. "Just, promise me one thing?" She asked.  
  
"What?" Shane asked.  
  
"Don't tell this to the others. Joey's probably going to be upset you two know, she doesn't need everyone knowing about her condition."  
  
"We won't say a word about it." Hunter said.  
  
"Right. Just think of us as you're silent helpers whenever you need us." Shane said. Summer smiled.  
  
"Glad to hear that." She said. Summer moved slightly so her back was resting against the wall. Leaning her head against the wall, she closed her eyes and let out a sigh. Hunter squeezed her hand.  
  
"Hey....it's ok...." He told her. Summer nodded her head.  
  
"I know....it's just....Joey's attacks have been harder to deal with since her mom...died a few years back.." Summer lied. The truth was, Joey's mother wasn't dead, or at least, she didn't think so, but how was she going to explain the truth to them? "..Larissa and I never actually got training to take care of her for it.....so we kinda 'Improvised' with it." Summer told them both.  
  
"Well, it seems you guys are managing well. I mean, if I hadn't seen it for myself, I would've never thought she was sick." Shane commented. Summer sighed.  
  
"Don't give me and Lars all the credit. Joey has a bad habit of hiding things sometimes." Summer stood up. "I need some air." She said. Hunter stood up as well.  
  
"I'll come with you." He said.  
  
"I'll keep an eye on Joey." Shane volunteered. Summer smiled at him.  
  
"Thanks." She said as she and Hunter left.  
  
Summer and Hunter walked down the stairs and Summer kicked the back door open and inhaled deeply and sighed. Hunter wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead.  
  
"You don't have to be brave anymore." He whispered gently. Summer bit her bottom lip and wrapped her arms around him and sobbed loudly. Hunter kissed her hair and rubbed her back gently.  
  
"Let it all out...I'm here for you." He told her as she clung to him crying harder.  
  
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Joey stood in a lush forest. She blinked, looking around.  
  
"Hello?" She called out. No answer. She walked around, totally clueless as to where she was.  
  
"Carmen." Came a soft beckoning voice. Joey stopped, blinking a few times. She followed the voice to a clearing in the woods. She froze at what she saw. She saw her mother, about 18 years younger, wearing her Ninja uniform. She stood with a guy. She couldn't see his face. It was as if it was blurred or something.  
  
"You came back." Came Carmen's voice. The man looked at her.  
  
"Of course I did. I couldn't leave you. I love you." He said. Carmen shook her head.  
  
"If you loved me, none of this would've happened. You wouldn't have-" The man placed a finger on Carmen's lips, silencing her.  
  
"Shhh." He said softly. Joey stood by a tree, watching them. "I've come back for you. I need you." He said softly. Carmen stepped away from him.  
  
"No." She said. The aura about the man seemed to change. Before, he seemed soft, loving, now, he seemed angered.  
  
"What do you mean, no? We made plans, didn't we? We wanted a life together."  
  
"Not like this." Carmen whispered, tears welling in her eyes. "I don't even know you anymore." She said. The man sneered.  
  
"You're right." He said. And with that, he slapped her, hard. Carmen fell to the ground.  
  
"NO!" Joey exclaimed, but they didn't hear her. The man came down on Carmen, he began ripping at her uniform. Carmen struggled beneath him.  
  
"Let me go!" Carmen screamed.  
  
"Never." The man said.  
  
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"NO!" Joey cried out, sitting up in the tub. Her body trembled with sobs. Shane looked at her.  
  
"Joey." He said softly. We went over to her and put his arms around her. "It's OK, it's OK." He said softly. Joey looked at him. Her body stiffened.  
  
"What are you doing here?" She asked fearfully. Shane looked at her.  
  
"What? Don't you remember what happened? You got sic-"  
  
"Wh..Where's Summer?" Joey asked, pulling away from him. "Where's everyone else?"  
  
"She needed some air..Joey, what's wrong?" He asked.  
  
"Get Summer.....please?" Joey asked quietly. Shane nodded and ran from the bathroom. He got to the stairs and took them down two at a time. When he reached the bottom he looked through the kitchen window and saw Summer and Hunter in an embrace. Running through the kitchen at full speed and slammed through the backdoor.  
  
"Summer....Joey....needs to talk to you." Shane panted out. Summer wiped at her eyes. And nodded. She dashed past Shane and ran back into the house. She tore up the stairs and back into the bathroom. She skidded to a stop and dropped beside Joey.  
  
"What's wrong?" Summer asked. Joey looked at her.  
  
"My dream.....it was about......him....and my mom...." Joey told her. Summer's eyes went wide.  
  
"What happened Jo?" She asked. Joey sniffed.  
  
"He......he......he...." Joey began sobbing furiously. Summer enveloped her in a hug. "He hurt her..He hurt her so much! And I couldn't stop it!" Joey sobbed. Summer held her tightly.  
  
"Joey, shh, shh. It's OK. I know your dad hurt your mom when he left her." Summer said. Joey shook her head.  
  
"No. He hurt her..He..Oh god." Joey sobbed. Summer looked at her, she blinked a few times.  
  
"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" She whispered.  
  
"Whoever it was that got my mom pregnant, he did so by raping her." Joey muttered angrily.  
  
"Wait, wait, you don't know that. Maybe that's just you, trying to make him to be some sort of villain."  
  
"No...It felt too real..."  
  
"But..."  
  
"Summer, I know what I saw. And what I saw was that, I wasn't supposed to be born." Joey whispered as sobs overcame her again. 


	14. Interruptions

Chapter 14: Interruptions  
  
Summer just stared at Joey.  
  
"Oh.... my god.... Joey.... I'm so sorry." Summer whispered hugging her friend close. Joey continued to cry. Joey shivered slightly.  
  
"Can I get out of here?" She said, trying to put on a brave face. Summer looked at her. She got up and went to get Joey's bathrobe from her room. Shane and Hunter who had been standing by the stairs looked at Summer.  
  
"Is she OK?" Hunter asked. Summer sighed.  
  
"Yeah, she just had a bad dream. She's cooled off now, I'm just going to go get her bathrobe so she doesn't have to get out of the tub wet and everything. Don't want her getting a cold."  
  
"Her catching a cold would be bad at a time like this." Summer said pushing the door open to Joey's room. Shane and Hunter stood in the doorway as Summer walked over to Joey's bed and grabbing the black terry-cloth robe. She exited the room and brushed past Hunter and Shane and back into the bathroom.  
  
"Here ya go Joey." Summer said to Joey who just looked at her. Summer chuckled.  
  
"Guess it might help if we got you outta the tub first huh?" Summer asked. Joey nodded. Summer grabbed Joey underneath the arms and Joey pushed upwards with all her might... After a couple tries they managed to get Joey standing upright. Summer handed her bathrobe to her. Summer smiled.  
  
"Shane can you come here please?" Summer called.  
  
Shane walked in as Joey tied her robe close.  
  
"Can you carry Jo to her room, please?" She asked. Joey glared at her.  
  
"Yeah, sure." Shane said. He went over to her.  
  
"I'm perfectly able to walk on my own, thank you." She said. She went to step out of the tub, only to stumble. Shane caught her quickly. She looked at him.  
  
"OK, so maybe I can't walk at the moment." She sighed. "Guess not." Shane said. Summer placed her hands over her mouth trying not to laugh, and Hunter was chuckling silently. Shane placed his one arm underneath Joey's arms and across her back, and used his other arm to boost her legs upward. He carried her out of the bathroom and into her room. Summer and Hunter followed. Shane set her down gently on her bed.  
  
"Thanks." She said. Shane nodded.  
  
"Feel better soon. Then you can kick my ass." Shane smiled. Joey chuckled and Shane left the room and stood by Hunter. Summer walked over to Joey's bed.  
  
"Feeling better?" Summer asked. Joey glared at her.  
  
"I'll get you back." Joey threatened. Summer laughed it off.  
  
"Do you want me to stay?" She asked. Joey shrugged.  
  
"Let Larissa know if you're leaving." Joey replied. Summer nodded and hugged her.  
  
"Get well soon Joey. Oh. I think I'm to ask Shane to stay." Summer said exiting the room and shut the door giving Joey a little wave. She looked at Shane and Hunter.  
  
"Can you guys meet me outside?" She asked. They both nodded. Hunter kissed her lightly and followed Shane downstairs. Summer let out a shaky breath and walked towards Larissa's door. Knocking lightly, she didn't bother to wait for an answer.  
  
"Rissa...I know your pissed at me.... But Hunter and I are leaving.... Shane is going to stay with Joey.... I am sorry Rissa.... hopefully you'll forgive me.... goodbye." Summer said quietly.  
  
"Wait." Larissa said. Summer stopped and looked at her. Larissa stood up and walked up to her.  
  
"Joey got sick, twice. And....And you weren't here." She stated.  
  
"We've gone over that, thank you." Summer sighed. Larissa shook her head.  
  
"No, let me finish." She insisted.  
  
"Joey was sick, and you weren't here. I got so scared. I didn't know what to do...I...I thought she was going to die or something the second time it happened." Larissa said as tears filled her eyes.  
  
"And you weren't here. I was scared that you and Joey were just going to leave me.... Like my mom did...and I'd be all alone..." Summer looked at her. She pulled her into a hug.  
  
"Oh, god, I'm so sorry." She whispered.  
  
"You know I'd never leave you." She said. She pulled away, making Larissa look at her. "And you know your mom didn't leave by choice. You know that, right?" She asked. Larissa nodded.  
  
"Yeah.... I just keep thinking that if I had been a better fighter...Maybe I could've helped."  
  
"Lar, Taheaira and Carmen didn't want us to fight then. They knew we'd get taken too. They needed us to stay and fight now. They knew we could do it." She wiped at some of Larissa's tears.  
  
"Have you been feeling like this since it happened?" She asked. Larissa nodded silently. Summer sighed.  
  
"Why didn't you ever say anything?" She asked. Larissa shrugged gently.  
  
"I don't know." She admitted.  
  
"I guess I thought I was supposed to be just the brains behind this thing, couldn't get emotional or anything." Summer smiled softly.  
  
"But even brains have hearts, and you need to tell us what's troubling yours, OK?" She asked. Larissa nodded.  
  
"I'll remember that." She said.  
  
"So, you're leaving?" She asked.  
  
"Yeah, but, I'll be back, don't worry." She said. Larissa smiled softly.  
  
"You better be back." She said.  
  
"I will...I promise." Summer replied. Larissa smiled  
  
"Goodbye Summer..." The Hawaiian girl said quietly.  
  
"Bye Rissa." Summer responded.  
  
Summer left the room. She walked down the stairs and out the door of the house to find Hunter and Shane standing on the porch.  
  
"Everything OK?" Hunter asked. Summer nodded.  
  
"OK, well, I guess we should all go home." Shane said. Summer looked at him.  
  
"Hold on." She said.  
  
"You're not leaving." She said.  
  
"I'm not?" Shane asked.  
  
"No. I don't want Larissa being here alone, in case Joey gets sick again, so, you're staying here. You can sleep in my room if you have to." She said.  
  
"Hold on a second, why can't you stay?" He asked. Summer looked at him. She got close to him.  
  
"Do I need to persuade you?" She asked, her hand by his crotch area threateningly. Shane's eyes widened as he stumbled away from her.  
  
"OK, I guess I'm staying." He muttered. Hunter and Summer burst out laughing. Shane gave Hunter a dirty look.  
  
"What's that for?" Hunter asked between laughs.  
  
"You know, you could stand up for your gender dude. But, well, I guess it's hard to do that when you're whipped." Shane smirked, making a whipping sound. Hunter looked at Shane.  
  
"Dude...I'm not whipped." He said defensively. Shane chuckled.  
  
"Yeah, and I'm Princess Dian- OW!" Shane screeched as Summer slapped him one across the face again. Shane held his cheek. Summer smiled innocently.  
  
"What the hell did I do now!?" Shane yelled. Summer giggled.  
  
"I didn't see anything... Did you Hunter?" "See what?" He asked. Shane glared at them both.  
  
"You both are morons, no wonder you're in love." He grumbled.  
  
"You're just jealous that you don't have anyone to be a moron in love with." Summer giggled. Shane looked down.  
  
"Right." He said. "Whatever, I'll see you guys later." He said as he went back into the house. Summer watched him leave, she looked at Hunter.  
  
"Did I say something wrong?" She asked. Hunter sighed.  
  
"No. I think he's missing this girl he knew." Hunter said, figuring Shane was upset over Skyla.  
  
"Oh, man. I should go apologize." Summer said.  
  
"No, don't worry about it. Let's just head home." He said. Summer nodded.  
  
"OK." She agreed. Summer climbed into the drivers seat of her car and Hunter sat in the passenger seat.  
  
"So where we going?" She asked. Hunter leaned over and kissed her.  
  
"Doesn't matter to me." He told her. Summer giggled and threw the car into reverse.  
  
"VEGAS HERE WE COME!" She yelled. Hunter turned to her, his eyes wide in fear, his face as white as a sheet. Summer began laughing hysterically.  
  
"Oh Hunter.... I was joking...Were only gonna see one Vegas tonight." She said winking. "What is it with you and frightening males?" Hunter asked. Summer shrugged.  
  
"Dunno, it's fun I guess. Does it bother you?" She asked. Hunter smiled and shook his head.  
  
"Nah, it's who you are, and I love who you are." Hunter smiled as he kissed her.  
  
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Shane walked into Joey's room. She looked up and saw him.  
  
"Hey." She said softly.  
  
"Hey." He replied.  
  
"Where's Hunter and Summer?" She asked.  
  
"Gone. Summer 'talked me into' staying, in case-"  
  
"I become Joey the volcano?" Joey smirked. Shane laughed.  
  
"Basically." He said. Joey smiled.  
  
"Well at least someone stayed.... Larissa basically locked herself in her room because of the fight she and Summer had." Joey sighed. Shane nodded. He pulled up a chair beside Joey's bed.  
  
"You should get some rest." He told her. Joey rolled her eyes.  
  
"Yes dad." She joked. Shane smiled as she began to drift off to sleep. "Shane?" She asked softly.  
  
"Yeah?" He replied. She sighed. "I can not belive I'm asking this, and if you ever tell anyone, I'll deny it fully, but......Well, that dream I had.....It's still got me a little spooked.......And......Could...You just.....sleep here......With me?" She asked, feeling incredibly embarrassed. Shane had to contain himself from jumping into bed with her and pulling her into his arms.  
  
"Does this mean we're friends?" He asked. Joey looked at him.  
  
"Yeah, you seem trustworthy enough." She smiled softly. Shane smiled and nodded. He walked over to the other side of her bed, kicking off his sneakers. He crawled into bed next to her. Joey turned to face him. She slowly, almost timidly, got closer to him. Shane put his arms around her, feeling the clothe of her robe underneath his fingers. Joey rested her head against his chest, softly, almost unnoticeably inhaling his sweet scent. Joey didn't know what or how she felt for Shane, but all she knew was that she felt safe in his arms.  
  
"I'm glad we're able to be friends." Shane said softly. Joey nodded.  
  
"Yeah." She yawned. Shane smiled a bit as she fell asleep in his arms.  
  
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Dustin stood on the beach alone, watching as the sunset. He was thinking about Marah. Shane was right. He was in love with her. And it hurt him so much in his heart knowing that he shouldn't. She was Lothor's niece...She was evil. But for some reason, Dustin just wasn't able to believe that. When he met her by the racetrack, and by the peak the next day, she seemed good, pure, and beautiful. He wanted to hold onto that image of her forever. He wanted that image to be real. He wanted to hold Marah in his arms and tell her how he felt. Dustin was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't hear Tori approach.  
  
"Hey Dustin." She said quietly. Dustin turned and looked at her.  
  
"Hey Tor." He replied. Tori walked a little closer and stood beside her best friend.  
  
"Whatcha thinking about?" She asked non-chantey. Dustin looked at her.  
  
"Nothing." He replied. Tori chortled.  
  
"Uh huh... sure... I heard that you and Shane got into a fight... Care to tell me your side?" She asked him. Dustin's shoulders sagged downwards.  
  
"I said something about Joey being mean and cold-hearted and he said that it was coming from the person who's in love with Lothor's niece." He responded sadly. Tori nodded.  
  
"I'm not going to side with Shane on this one Dustin, but how you phrased that, was really mean... Shane likes her... She's the first person he's been attracted to since Skyla died... That's why he retaliated the way he did... but, he has to apologize for the Marah comment.... Her betraying you was not your fault." She said. Dustin looked at her again.  
  
"How'd you know I was thinking that?" He asked. Tori shrugged.  
  
"I'm psychic." She told him. Dustin smiled.  
  
"More like psycho." He joked. Tori's jaw dropped as she went to hit him. Dustin dodged out of the way.  
  
"Missed me." He called, taking off down the beach. Tori chased after him.  
  
"Your so dead Dustin!"  
  
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Marah watched from the viewing screen in her uncle's ship as Dustin ran on the beach. A single tear slid down her face. She looked down.  
  
"Dustin..." She whispered. She regretted betraying his trust. She regretted hurting him. But she was afraid of going against her uncle. She was afraid no one would accept her on the other side. She didn't want to be alone. She couldn't be alone. The irony of that was incredibly sour to Marah. Seeing as ever since she met and betrayed Dustin, she had never felt more alone in her life. She wrapped her arms around her body and sniffed. It was her fault that Dustin felt the same feelings... Maybe if she hadn't of gone down to earth, they never would have met, and she wouldn't have fallen for him. Marah sighed as the door opened.  
  
"Marah.... Whatcha doin?" Kapri asked. Marah rolled her eyes, her back still facing Kapri.  
  
"Nothing... why?" She asked. Kapri shrugged.  
  
"Wanna go reek havoc on those dumb rangers?" She asked. Marah shrugged.  
  
"Whatever." She responded. Kapri looked at her.  
  
"What's wrong with you?" She asked. Marah shrugged.  
  
"Tired I guess..." She said. Kapri nodded. She didn't believe Marah for a second that she was just "Tired".  
  
"Well, I'm sure watching those pathetic rangers squirm is exactly what will get you energized." Kapri grinned. Marah sighed.  
  
"Can we do it tomorrow? I'm really tired." She said, she walked past Kapri and left, not bothering to hear her answer. Kapri watched her leave and shrugged to herself.  
  
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Summer and Hunter lay in his bed together. Summer looked at him.  
  
"I can tell you're worried about something, what's wrong?" She asked. Hunter sighed and looked at her.  
  
"Joey." He said.  
  
"Doesn't it bother you...this sickness of hers?" He asked. Summer nodded.  
  
"Yeah, and the first time I saw it first hand, I was scared shitless, it still does actually. But I try my best to not let that get in the way of doing what I can to help her feel better." Summer smiled softly.  
  
"I'm surprised you're so concerned, seeing as Joey hasn't exactly been the queen of nice to you." Hunter shrugged.  
  
"I don't care if she hasn't been the queen of nice towards me... That doesn't bother me.... That's beside the point.... You should be nice to people and attempt to help them whenever you can." He told her. Summer nodded.  
  
"So basically Karma.... What you do in this life affects you in the next one?" She asked. Hunter nodded.  
  
"Something like that." He replied. Summer smiled and intertwined her fingers with his. "And that's just another reason for me to love you." Summer said. "You're not petty or anything." She kissed him. Hunter smiled.  
  
"So happy to know that there are many reasons why you love me." Hunter said. Summer giggled.  
  
"Oh yeah, there are plenty." She climbed up and straddled his hips. She leaned over and captured his lips in a steaming kiss. She looked at him.  
  
"Exactly how many items are in that little box in your nightstand?" She asked innocently. Hunter chuckled.  
  
"Chances are, not nearly enough." He smirked. Summer laughed.  
  
"Well, I guess someone's going to have to do some shopping tomorrow." She grinned.  
  
"Yes ma'am." Hunter said, giving a mock salute. Summer giggled and sat back as Hunter retrieved one of the items in question from his nightstand. Hunter lifted Summer off him and placed her beside him and rolled gently on top of her. He lowered his lips to her and began undoing her jeans. Summer tugged at Hunter's shirt impatiently. Hunter pulled away from the kiss and looked at her.  
  
"Impatient are we?" He asked. Summer nodded. Hunter laughed and pulled his shirt over his head. He then proceeded to shed Summer's body of her jeans and underwear. Summer's hands worked frantically to get Hunter's button, and zipper unhooked on his jeans. Summer's efforts where soon met with success as she pushed his pants and boxers down.  
  
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Blake was lying in his room, thinking about Tori. A small smile played on his lips as he was so happy they were finally together. Blake's smile soon faded though, when he heard the noise coming from Hunter's room, which was beside his. He heard soft moans and Hunter's bed creaking. Blake's face filled with disgust.  
  
"Aw, man, that's just wrong." Blake groaned. Blake grabbed his pillows and shoved them against his head. He could still hear the moans and creaking of the bed. Suddenly Blake got a wicked idea. Grinning stupidly he walked over to his CD player and picked out a CD. He was so going to get his ass kicked by both Hunter and Summer... If it was Summer in his room... But he didn't care. Grabbing the first CD he saw, which just happened to be Alannis Morrisette's CD. Grinning stupidly again, Blake shoved the CD into the player and fast forwarded through the tracks until he reached "So Pure." Pausing it, he walked over to her bed, with his remote in his hand. He layed down on his bed again and placed his pillows against his ears. Turning the volume up full blast, Blake hit the play button.  
  
"I'm so dead." He said outloud before the song blasted throughout the entire house.  
  
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Blake grabbed his pillows and shoved them against his head. He could still hear the moans and creaking of the bed. Suddenly Blake got a wicked idea. Grinning stupidly he walked over to his CD player and picked out a CD. He was so going to get his ass kicked by both Hunter and Summer... If it was Summer in his room... But he didn't care. Grabbing the first CD he saw, which just happened to be Alannis Morrisette's CD. Grinning stupidly again, Blake shoved the CD into the player and fast forwarded through the tracks until he reached "So Pure." Pausing it, he walked over to her bed, with his remote in his hand. He layed down on his bed again and placed his pillows against his ears. Turning the volume up full blast, Blake hit the play button.  
  
"I'm so dead." He said outloud before the song blasted throughout the entire house.  
  
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Summer and Hunter were in the process of making love, when blaring music scared the shit out of the both of them. Hunter pushed himself off Summer and bit and looked at her.  
  
"What the fuck is that?" He said out loud. Summer shushed him and listened to the lyrics.  
  
"You from New York you are so relevant You reduce me to cosmic tears Luminous more so than most anyone Unapologetically alive knot in my stomach And lump in my throat  
  
I love you when you dance when you freestyle in trance So pure such an expression  
  
Supposed former infatuation junkie I sink three pointers and you wax poetically  
  
I love you when you dance when you freestyle in trance So pure such an expression let's grease the wheel over tea Let's discuss things in confidence Let's be outspoken let's be ridiculous Let's solve the world's problems  
  
I love you when you dance when you freestyle in trance So pure such an expression "  
  
Summer looked at him.  
  
"That's So Pure, by Alannis Morrisette." She told him. Hunter rolled his eyes.  
  
"I know that.... Where's it coming from though?" He asked. Summer shrugged. Hunter though for a minute.  
  
"Blake..." He growled. Summer's eyes went wide.  
  
"Blake's home?" She whispered. Hunter nodded. Summer blushed about three different shades of red and covered her face in embrassement.  
  
"Oh god." She said out loud.  
  
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Blake heard Summer and turned the music up louder.  
  
Hunter growled. He got up from Summer and pulled on some boxers. He stormed out of his room and into Blake's.  
  
"Dude, cut that out before I decide I'd rather be an only child." Hunter snarled.  
  
"I do not need to hear my brother and his girlfriend getting it on, so, I think not." Blake said. Hunter glared at him. Hunter stalked over to Blake bed and stood over him. Blake looked up at Hunter's very angry face. Hunter brought his fist down, and connected with Blake's now empty pillow. Blake rolled out of the way and to the other side of his bed. Hunter jumped onto Blake's bed and tackled his younger brother. Causing them both to tumble onto the floor.  
  
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Summer heard the loud thump over the music that came from Blake's room.  
  
"To intervene, or not." She asked out loud. Shrugging she stayed in the bed until she heard something fall over and break.  
  
"Ok maybe I should intervene." She told herself. She snatched her sweatshirt and pulled it over her head. Then she grabbed a pair of swimming shorts of her and slid them over the bottom half of her body and walked out of the room, and towards Blake's.  
  
"This isn't going to be fun." She said out loud again.  
  
"You are so dead." Hunter growled as he wrestled with his brother. Summer walked into the room and stared at the two. She walked over to Blake's stereo and shut it off. The sudden loss of music caused both boys to stop and look at her.  
  
"Must I always play referee with you two?" She asked, sighing. Hunter got off of Blake and stood up. Blake scrambled to his feet. Summer sighed at looked at Blake. "Blake, I'm sorry, we had no idea you were home." She said. "Trust me, if we had known.... Well, you get the idea." Blake nodded.  
  
"Yeah I do.... Now please leave my room." Blake demanded. Summer rolled her eyes and left the room. Hunter followed but stopped at the door.  
  
"You got lucky man.... I'm so going to kick your ass later." Hunter snarled at him before slamming the door, hard, causing pictures to fall off the wall.  
  
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Summer sat on the bed cross-legged, her head in her hands. Hunter walked in and closed the door, locking it, giving the couple their privacy. Hunter sighed. He looked over at Summer and smiled. He went to the bed and slowly crawled over to her, causing her to lean back on the bed.  
  
"He's just jealous Tori isn't here so he can go at it." He joked softly as he went to kiss her. Summer placed a hand on his chest, gently pushing him away.  
  
"Hunter, your brother is next door." She reminded.  
  
"And....the idea of him hearing us is just..." She simply shuddered. Hunter frowned. Blake had interrupted them in the middle of their lovemaking, and to be honest, he was still...well...in the mood..........  
  
"But..." He said. Summer cut him off by tossing a pillow at him.  
  
"And since we're both still a little...into it...It's probably best that one of us sleeps on the couch, and since I know you won't let me, well, out ya go." She said. Hunter's jaw hung open a bit.  
  
"But..." He began. "I.... Kinda..."  
  
"Hunter." Summer said sternly. Hunter groaned and left the room. Summer smirked at his frustration.  
  
"I am so going to kill him." Hunter groaned, vowing to murder his brother later on as he went to the linen closet and took out some blankets for himself and went to the couch. He set the blankets and pillow on the couch and headed for the bathroom. Hunter kicked the bathroom door shut and practically ripped his boxers off his body. Pulling the shower curtains open, he turned the knobs so that ice freezing cold water was blasting out of the showerhead. Stepping into the shower, he yelped loudly as the cold water, hit his warm body. Hunter groaned. He didn't hear the door of the bathroom open and shut. Suddenly, a delicate hand reached in, turning the hot water knob, making the water not as fiercely cold. Hunter blinked and opened the curtain a bit to see Summer shredding her clothes.  
  
"What are you doing?" He asked as Summer climbed in the tub.  
  
"Well, I figure Blake can't hear us now, can he?" She grinned playfully. Hunter couldn't help laugh a bit. 


	15. Weathering the Storm

Chapter 15: Weathering the Storm  
  
A/N: We are so incedabibly sorry about the long wait. Thanks to everyone who reviewed! We love you!!  
  
----- "Shane?" Joey called, walking along the woods. They had arrived together, but had somehow gotten separated.   
  
"Shane, where are you?" She asked.  
  
"Over here." She heard him say. She followed his voice and came to a clearing. Shane stood there, looking at her.  
  
"Hey." She smiled.   
  
"Where'd you go?" She asked. Shane looked at her.  
  
"You didn't expect me to stay with you, did you?" He sneered. Joey blinked.  
  
"What?" She asked.   
  
"Shane, is something wrong?" She asked.   
  
"Yeah." He said as he slowly walked over to her.   
  
"You are."  
  
"What are you talking about?" She asked.   
  
"Shane, you're not making sense."  
  
"You're not supposed to be here." He said lowly.   
  
"What?"  
  
"Let me go!" Came a voice. Joey looked over and saw the man attacking her mother.  
  
"Mama!" Joey screamed. She went to help her, Shane grabbed her, holding her back.   
  
"Shane! Let me go! I've got to help her!" Joey screamed. Shane merely chuckled.   
  
"Try helping yourself." He said, pushing her back, causing her back to slam into a tree.   
  
"Cause you need it. You don't know who you really are, and until you do, you're nothing, worthless."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Joey exclaimed angrily.   
  
"I know who I am, I'm Joey fucking Sanchez!" Shane smirked.  
  
"You don't know anything until you know the other part of you." He said.  
  
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Joey flinched slightly and sat up, waking up from her dream. Her sudden movement awoke Shane. He groggily looked at her.  
  
"Joey?" He asked softly. Joey looked at him.  
  
"Hey." She said softly.   
  
"You OK?" He asked. Joey nodded slowly.  
  
"Mmmhmm." She said, lying back down. Shane ran his hand over Joey's hair.  
  
"As long as you're sure your ok." He mumbled. Joey nodded.  
  
"Yeah.... I'm good." She told him. Shane lazily threw his arm around her waist. Joey looked at him, he had fallen back asleep. Joey sighed and drifted back to sleep.  
  
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Cam sat the computer located in Ninja Ops. He was carefully trying to identify who these new rangers could be. Blake and Hunter had already said that they didn't know anyone who wore pink at the Thunder Ninja Academy, so Cam was out of luck with that girl, until such time as they all revealed themselves. The other two, the Orange Lightning Ranger, and the Black Fire Ranger seemed to have similar techniques, but again Cam couldn't find any information on either of them. Cam's father walked in.  
  
"My son.... Have you had any luck finding out where these new rangers are from?" Sensei asked. Cam sighed.  
  
"No Dad.... It's very difficult trying to figure out who they are, or how they've just appeared out of no where.." Cam told his father. The Guinea Pig nodded.  
  
"I understand. Perhaps you should get some sleep my son... Rest helps the brain to solve problems easier." Cam nodded.  
  
"Your right... Night Dad." The Samurai Ranger said, wandering towards his room.  
  
"Goodnight, my son." Sensei replied quietly.   
  
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Summer stood at the cash helping to ring in customers purchase with Kelly, while Dustin, Hunter and Blake worked in back, as well as out in the main store, unpacking boxes, and stocking shelves. The tension between Hunter and Blake was still obvious from the night previous, and they hadn't spoken to each other since then. Summer was afraid to attempt to talk to Blake about what happened in fear that someone might overhear them. Not that she didn't want people to know, she just didn't want them to find out that way.  
  
"Hey." Came a voice. Summer blinked, breaking out of her thoughts and saw Tori standing in front of her. Summer smiled.  
  
"Hey." She responded.   
  
"What's up?" She asked. Tori shrugged.  
  
"Nothing really, I just."  
  
"Looking for Blake?" Summer smirked. Tori laughed.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Uh, he's in the back, working. I don't think he's in a very good mood though." Summer sighed. Tori looked at her, concerned filling her features.  
  
"What? What's wrong?" She asked. Summer bit her lip.  
  
"Hunter and him had a fight last night.and that's all I can really say at the moment." She said. It wasn't that she was hiding it from Tori; it was just that she'd rather tell her that in a more private and 'girl talk' setting. Tori nodded.  
  
"We need to talk don't we?" Tori question. Summer nodded.  
  
"Oh yeah." Summer replied. Tori gave summer a half smile.  
  
"Hey...that's me Tori the Guidance Counselor." She said. Summer chuckled and went to serve a customer. Tori walked into the back room. As she got closer, Dustin came out, almost bumping into her. Tori laughed a bit.   
  
"Hey." She said. Dustin looked at her.  
  
"Hey, I uh, wouldn't go in there if I were you." He said.   
  
"Blake and Hunter are having a glaring contest. It's kinda scary. They're not saying anything, but it looks like they're about to rip each other to shreds." Dustin said. Tori looked at him.  
  
"Wonderful." Tori said. She looked at Summer whose eyes basically said, 'I told you so.' Tori looked back at the door.  
  
"Should we close it before the screaming match begins?" She asked. Summer nodded furiously. Dustin shrugged.  
  
"Whatever floats your boat Tor." He said. Summer looked at him.  
  
"Cover the register for me." She said as she joined Tori by the doorway of the backroom. Dustin sighed and did as he was told.   
  
"Ok so do we go in together and attempt not to get killed, or go in one by one...and attempt to not get killed." Summer said. Tori looked at her.  
  
"First one defiantly. I get Blake you get Hunter?" Tori asked. Summer rolled her eyes.  
  
"NO. I figured I'd take Blake." Summer responded sarcastically. Tori chuckled.  
  
"Ok.... on the count of three. One, two.... three." Both girls walked into the room simultaneously. Only problem was, they hadn't taken the width of the doorway into account, and were wedged in between the doorway, against each other. Hunter and Blake looked at them oddly.  
  
"OK." Summer said.   
  
"Bad idea. Let's try this again." She said as Tori and she got out of the doorway. They walked in one at a time.   
  
"OK, better." Summer said. Summer and Tori looked at the boys.  
  
"Hey guys!" Summer said perkily. Blake glared at her, causing Summer to glare back.   
  
"If your not careful your face might freeze like that Blake." Summer growled. Hunter glared more intently at Blake.  
  
"Mind not being a royal dick to my girlfriend?" He snarled. Blake scoffed and looked at his brother.  
  
"How funny you use dick and girlfriend in the same sentence." Blake said.   
  
"Hey!" Summer yelled. Tori looked at the three of them.  
  
"Why do I have a feeling that whatever's going on involves the three of you together?" Tori asked rhetorically. Summer turned and looked at Tori.  
  
"Maybe you shouldn't be here right now Tori.... And your right.... This involved me, Hunter and jackass over there." Summer replied jerking her thumb towards Blake. Blake glared at her.   
  
"Excuse me?" Blake growled. Tori sighed.  
  
"Normally, I'd be all for standing up for Blake, but, since I have no idea what's going on, I'm just going to leave." She said.   
  
"Wait." Blake said.   
  
"There's no way I'm going to be left alone with these two. Knowing them, they'll start humping each other or something, since that's apparently their new favorite pastime." Blake added. Tori's jaw hung open in shock.   
  
"You're dead." Hunter said as he tried to get at his brother. Summer grabbed Hunter's arm.  
  
"Oh no you don't." She said, pulling him back.   
  
"I'm going to kill him." She snarled as she went to get at him. Blake stepped back. Tori rushed in between them.  
  
"No one's killing anyone!" Tori yelled. Summer snapped her head around and looked at Tori.  
  
"Tori... I suggest you move before I do something I regret." She told the blond surfer. Blake snorted.  
  
"You mean you don't regret fucking my brother? I mean any other girl would." Blake laughed. Summer's eyes went wide.   
  
"You asshole!" Summer shrieked as she tried to get past Tori. Tori stood her ground.  
  
"Hunter, a little help here?" Tori asked.  
  
"Oh no, let her at him. Just leave some for me to kill, ok babe?" Hunter asked Summer. Tori groaned and pushed Summer away, causing her to collide against Hunter. Hunter caught her. Blake glared at Hunter.  
  
"Oh right, now that you have your little girlfriend, what use do you have for your brother?" He snapped. Summer fought tooth and nail to get away from Hunter and to kill Blake. She had one mindset right now. 'Murder Blake.'  
  
"Why the fuck are you so touchy about this Blake? Like what's shoved up your ass." Summer snarled. Blake rolled his eyes.  
  
"Uh...I dunno, maybe the fact that you and Hunter were getting it on last night and I could hear you." he told them both. Summer's eye began to twitch.  
  
"Your just jealous that Hunter actually got some." Summer spat.  
  
Blake snorted.  
  
"I'm not jealous." He said.   
  
"I could have anyone I wanted... I wouldn't settle for the first 'damsel in distress' to walk through the door to fuck." He spat at her. Summer stood up fully and looked at Blake.  
  
"What did you just say?" She whispered dangerously. Hunter went to hug her, but she pulled away.   
  
"Fuck you Blake." She spat angrily, storming out of the backroom and out the front door of Storm Chargers. Hunter glared at his brother.  
  
"Asshole." He said as he went after Summer. Tori looked at Blake.  
  
"I'm not even going to venture near the 'anyone you want' comment right now. You had no right to say that to say that to Summer." She said. Blake's eyes narrowed.  
  
"What, so first she steals my brother, now my girlfriend?" Blake said. Tori looked at him.   
  
"So, that's what this is all about?" She asked.  
  
"It's about me hearing them going at it last night. I blared the music and 'destroyed the moment'" Blake told her. Tori rolled her eyes.  
  
"Smooth, Blake, real smooth." She told him. Blake gave her a dirty look. Tori ran her fingers through her hair.  
  
"Fuck this." She growled. She slapped Blake hard across the face. His hand flew up and held the spot where his girlfriend had slapped him.  
  
"First... you apologize to Summer, then to Hunter... And maybe, just maybe I'll forgive you for being a fucking jerk!" Tori screeched. She slammed out of the backroom and out the same way she had come in. Blake looked down.   
  
"God damnit." He yelled. Dustin poked his head into the room.  
  
"I take it things didn't go too well?" He asked innocently. Blake glared at him.  
  
"Where the hell did you get that idea?" He grumbled. Dustin snorted.  
  
"Uh the fact that one by one, Summer, Hunter then Tori left... What did you do man?" Dustin asked.  
  
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Blake sighed. Dustin shrugged.  
  
"You might want to get back out here soon.... At the moment were down two employees.... and Kelly won't be happy if we suddenly become three down." Dustin told him. Blake nodded.  
  
"Be right there." Blake told him. Dustin turned and went back out into the main room.  
  
"Open mouth, insert foot." Blake mumbled to himself.  
  
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Once Summer had reached the pavement outside Storm Chargers, she had taken off running, fast. By the time Hunter exited the building she was 1/4 of the way down the beach and still going strong. Hunter sighed and took off after her. She had a good 2-minute head start, but was obviously faster than him, despite all his training.  
  
Summer rounded a corner and hid behind some rocks. She knew Hunter was following her.... She just didn't want to be found yet.... She needed some time alone. Hunter came to a stop and leaned forward a bit, trying to catch his breath.  
  
"Summer? Summer, where are you?" He called out. Summer didn't say anything. She simply stayed behind the rocks, praying he would leave. Hunter looked around. He had seen Summer come over here, and people just didn't disappear out of thin air.  
  
"Summer! Where are you?!" He yelled loudly. Summer squeezed her eyes shut.  
  
'Please just go away.... I can't deal with this right now.' Her mind cried.  
  
"Hunter." Came a voice. Hunter turned to see Tori approaching him. He gave her a hard look.  
  
"If you're here to tell me to go talk to that asshole, forget it." He growled. Tori shook her head.  
  
"Trust me, even I'm not talking to him right now." Tori sighed. Hunter's face softened.   
  
"I'm sorry you had to see that." Hunter told her. Tori shrugged.  
  
"Shit happens.... Where's Summer?" Tori questioned. Hunter shrugged.  
  
"I wish I knew.... She ran over here, but now I can't find her." He replied. Tori sighed.  
  
"Maybe she just needs to be alone right now." Tori suggested.   
  
'Yes, exactly!' Summer thought to herself, hearing their conversation. Hunter sighed.  
  
"I'd feel better finding her." Hunter replied.   
  
"But that doesn't mean it'll make her feel better." Tori pointed out. Hunter looked at her. Tori quickly amended her statement.   
  
"Not that you being around would make things worse, it's just that sometimes, you just have to give people there space." Hunter sighed, nodding.  
  
"I guess you're right." He said.   
  
"Aren't I always?" Tori joked, trying to lighten the mood. Hunter chuckled as the two walked away.  
  
Summer let out a shaky breath.  
  
"Finally." She whispered. She ran her hands over her face and sighed.   
  
"Life really sucks." She muttered. Summer pushed herself up into a standing position. She kicks some sand and began walking in the opposite direction from which she had come. The fresh, cold wind blew her hair around and slapped against her face.  
  
"Strange... They didn't forecast strong winds today." She told herself out loud. She looked out over the ocean. The waves seemed to be getting bigger. Shrugging it off, she continued to walk.  
  
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Tori and Hunter slowly walked back to Storm Chargers, when Tori stopped and looked out at the ocean.  
  
"That's really weird.... The waves are getting huge.... They never get that big unless were getting a hurricane!" Tori exclaimed. Hunter stopped and turned around.  
  
"Your joking right?" He asked. Tori shook her head.  
  
"No joke.... I've lived here all my life, and I've lived through a few hurricane's.... this is perfect weather." She told him. Hunter sighed.  
  
"Great just great.... maybe I should go find Summer." He said. Tori shook her head again.  
  
"She can find her way back... She probably just needs to cool off." Tori replied.  
  
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"How long do I have to sit here?" Shane asked. He was sitting on Joey's couch. She was sitting on the opposite end with her feet on the couch, a pad of drawing paper rested against her raised knees.   
  
"Until I'm done." Joey replied with a smile.   
  
"And since when is talking sitting still?" She asked.   
  
"So you want me to stay still, and quiet? Oh, you're a cruel woman." Shane smirked. Joey laughed.  
  
"Will you shut up?" She said.   
  
"You keep talking, and I'll just draw a stick figure with a smiley face. Although, I do think it'd be an improvement." She smirked. Shane glared at her playfully and grabbed a throw pillow, throwing it at her. Joey giggled. They both heard the loud violent winds and the branch of a tree gently rapping on the window. Joey looked over at the window.   
  
"Funky weather." She commented. Shane turned and looked out the window.  
  
"That's hurricane weather." He replied. Joey's eyes went wide.  
  
"Hurricane?" She asked. Shane nodded.  
  
"We get them a lot here, being right on the coast. It's scary, but not that bad." He told her. Joey nodded.  
  
"I'll take you word for it." She answered. She looked at Shane and smiled.   
  
"Anyway, hold still, all right? I don't exactly feel like sitting here all day."  
  
"Says the girl who at least can move her hand around to draw." Shane muttered. Joey giggled.   
  
"Well, then, sucks to be you." She simply shrugged. Shane rolled his eyes.  
  
"At this present moment yes, yes it does." He muttered. Joey laughed.  
  
"Hey, you should be happy I'm drawing you. One day when I'm this major extremely great artist, you can say you used to know me, and that I actually drew you." She smiled.  
  
"Well aren't you egotistical." Shane mused.   
  
"Who's to say that saying I know you is a good thing?" He joked. Joey laughed.  
  
"Because I'm incredibly incredible and all who know me are fortunate people because they have me in their lives." Joey replied smugly, flipping her hair over her shoulder. Shane laughed.  
  
"Am I one of the fortunate people?" He asked. Joey chuckled.  
  
"Oh why not." She laughed. Shane smiled.  
  
"Good to know." He replied. Joey smiled and went back to drawing him.  
  
"Yeah, I mean, you did help me yesterday. Lord knows what would have happened if you hadn't brought me here." She looked up at him.   
  
"In case I haven't said it yet, thank you." She said softly. Shane looked at her.  
  
"You didn't, but I wasn't really expecting it." He said.   
  
"I'm just kind of shocked at how you helped, and stayed here and everything. I mean, Summer's pretty scary and I know she told you to stay, but," she shrugged.   
  
"I dunno, I guess I kept expecting you to sort of sneak off during the night or something."   
  
"Why would I do that?" Shane asked. Joey shrugged.  
  
"Because spending the night with a girl who hasn't been the nicest to you thus far probably wasn't on your list of great things to do with your time." Shane shrugged.  
  
"I really didn't mind.... Besides you haven't been that mean to me." He replied.  
  
"Oh, so you're a masochist! I get it! I mean, why else would a guy consider a girl who kicked him in the jewels not mean?" She asked. Shane turned and looked at her.  
  
"Hey! I do not enjoy being dominated!" He cried. Joey glared.  
  
"Stay still or else I will find someway to make this picture hideous, then I will post it around town!" She replied. Shane gulped and went back to his original stance.  
  
"Yes Mama!" He said. Joey laughed.  
  
"Looks like you do enjoy being dominated." Joey mused.   
  
"Do I need to bring out the whips and chains?" She asked. Shane smirked.  
  
"Only if you have a sexy leather bodysuit, mistress Joey." He replied.   
  
"Hmm, well, when it comes to anything involving sex, and myself, you, my friend, will never know." Joey replied. Shane frowned.  
  
"Aw, shucks." He replied. Joey laughed loudly as the wind picked up speed, knocking over a few things in the kitchen. Joey stopped laughing.  
  
"The winds really strong." She commented. Shane nodded.  
  
"It'll get worse.... I just hope Summer and Tori aren't out on the water on a day like today... The undertow is really bad when were about to get a storm." He replied. Joey nodded.  
  
"I hope neither of them are out there either.... It'd be really dangerous to even be near the beach during a storm, hopefully they're both ok." She said. They were quiet for a while. Shane sighed and looked at her. She was busy drawing.  
  
"You almost done?" He asked.  
  
"I'd be done a lot quicker if you'd quit moving and talking." Joey replied.  
  
"Well, I just don't want to be stuck here all day." Shane said. Joey laughed.  
  
"Don't be such a whiner." She said. Shane's head snapped up and he looked at her.   
  
"You moved!" Joey groaned. Shane blinked.  
  
"What did you just call me?" He asked. Joey looked at him.  
  
"What, is whiner an offensive term?" She asked. Shane looked down. Skyla called him that. Joey looked at him.   
  
"What's wrong?" She asked. Shane sighed.  
  
"It's just.... a girl I.... used.... to know.... she called me that once..." Shane told her.  
  
"Old girlfriend?" She asked. Shane didn't say anything.   
  
"Must've been a pretty bad breakup."   
  
"She wasn't my girlfriend. Just, someone I knew."  
  
"Why are you talking about her in the past tense?" Joey asked.  
  
"She died." Shane replied softly. Joey looked down.  
  
"Oh.Wow.I.I'm sorry." She said. Shane shrugged.  
  
"I miss her, but I can't live in the past." he replied. Joey scooted down the couch and hugged Shane.  
  
"I'm really sorry." She said. Shane smiled.  
  
"Thanks Joey." He said. Joey looked at him.  
  
"How 'bout we finish the drawing later?" She suggested.   
  
"But won't it be hard to get back in the same exact pose?" He asked. Joey smiled.  
  
"I'll deal with it. Besides, what artist backs out in the face of challenges?" She asked.  
  
"Don't stop drawing because you think I'm having some sort of grieving moment." Shane said. Joey shook her head.  
  
"Not at all. My hand was getting tired. So, I decided we take a break."  
  
"So, I'm guessing you like dominating people." Shane smirked. Joey laughed.  
  
"Oh yeah, don't you know that all us arrogant, stubborn, head-strong bitches love bossing others around?" Shane smiled.  
  
"I had some sort of idea, compliments of you." He joked. Joey smiled.  
  
"Figures.... I usually give that image off about myself." She responded.   
  
"But that's not the real you." Shane sated. Joey looked at him.   
  
"And how are you so sure?" She asked.  
  
"Well, you're fine now." He said.   
  
"Well, maybe this is just an act, I'm really some evil wench and it's not a good idea to mess with me."  
  
"Oh, I've seen you as the evil wench, and I've seen you how you are right now. The 2nd one seems more natural." He said.  
  
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Summer's arms tightened around her tiny frame as she walked further away from Storm Chargers. She was freezing.  
  
"I knew I should have brought a sweater to work today." She mumbled. The wind had turned from a nice warm breeze, to a freezing cold, bitter wind that slapped your hair around in your face. Summer sat down on a rock and looked out over the ocean. She was angry at Blake... Not so much Hunter, she wanted to ask him about what Blake had said though.... But her life, as she saw it was a living hell at the present moment.  
  
"Maybe I should just pick up and leave." She said out loud. The wind whipped her words away from her body.   
  
Sighing Summer stood up and continued walking. She kicked some sand aimlessly out of her way, although it seemed as if the entire beach was in her way. Looking out over the ocean again, she was so tempted to just go out and swim, but she knew that it was probably really dangerous, and she didn't feel like getting herself killed today. Walking a little farther she stumbled upon a tiny cave. Not very deep to go into, but it would work to sit and think. Sitting down Summer stared out the entrance.  
  
"Come on world.... Give me an answer...What am I supposed to do?" She asked quietly.  
  
"Summer?" Came a voice. Summer spun around to see Blake standing there. Summer sighed.  
  
"Oh, god could this day get any worse." Summer muttered.   
  
"What now, Blake? Here to call me a slut or something?" Blake winced. Summer wasn't sure if it was her tone, or the wind whipping around them. Blake sighed.  
  
"Come on, the winds getting pretty brutal out here. We should head back to the store or something."  
  
"How about you leave me alone?" Summer replied. Blake ran his hands over his face.  
  
"How bout I go back and send Hunter over here and you can deal with that?" He growled. Summer rolled her eyes.  
  
"I don't need this bullshit." She mumbled pushing herself up. She dusted herself off and walked away from Blake.  
  
"Where are you going?" He asked. Summer turned around and looked at him.  
  
"I don't see why you care! I mean you obviously want me out of your house... I may as well walk back to Glassington and leave everyone here!" She screamed. Blake wasn't expecting that to come from her.   
  
"I.I didn't say I wanted you out of the house." He said softly. Summer gave him a hard look. She slowly walked back over to him.  
  
"Well, your actions haven't exactly screamed otherwise." She said. Blake sighed.  
  
"I.I know.I." His voice trailed off. He looked at Summer.   
  
"Look, after our parents died, Hunter and I basically just had each other. I mean, yeah, we've got our friends and everything, but still, it was like he and I were a team. Totally inseparable. But, since you got here, it's like there's a wedge between us. We barely talk like we used to."  
  
"I get it, I'm coming in between brothers, and I'll leave." Summer said.   
  
"See ya." She turned to leave. Blake grabbed her wrist to stop her.  
  
"No. Don't." He said. Summer looked at him.   
  
"You're not coming in between us. I guess I was just bitter.Felt like I was being replaced. And then last night, when I heard you, it all just kind of blew out."  
  
"Blake." Summer said softly.   
  
"I would never try to replace you. And I really don't think Hunter wants me to. You're his brother. Me, I'm just some girl he's sleeping with."  
  
"He loves you." Blake said.   
  
"Don't sell yourself short." Summer sighed.  
  
"Well.... I know he does... but I can't help thinking what you said earlier about Hunter just fucking the first damsel in distress he met, just might be true..." She said, her voice quavering. Blake looked at her.  
  
"I highly doubt it's true. I said it because I was pissed off...and I'm sorry." He responded. Summer nodded and sniffed.  
  
"I know you were pissed off Blake... but put yourself in my position.... You basically called me a tramp.... and..." She broke off, tears trickling down her cheeks. Blake's face softened and he went to hug her.  
  
"Don't touch me please...." She told him, swiping at her tears. She took a deep breath.   
  
"Look... I know Hunter loves me, but I just need some time to think about everything that's happened.... ok?" She asked. Blake groaned and nodded.  
  
"You do realize that if he finds out that I've talked to you and you don't come back, he'll kill me right?" He replied. Summer nodded and smiled.  
  
"I'm willing to take that chance." She told him. Blake shook his head.  
  
"Ok...."He said. Summer gave him a half smile.  
  
"You haven't seen me." She said backing away slowly. Blake nodded again.  
  
"Bye Summer...." He said as the blond turned away from him and kept walking.  
  
"Goodbye Blake." She called. She left. Blake turned to walk away then stopped suddenly, seeing Tori standing a few feet away. He sighed and walked over to her. He stuffed his hands in his pockets.  
  
"Hey." He said.   
  
"What are you doing here?" He asked.   
  
"Looking for you. You weren't at the store when Hunter and I got back, and I was worried." She said.   
  
"Well, I'm fine." He said. Tori looked at him.  
  
"You should've just told Hunter you were feeling as if you were being replaced." She said softly.   
  
"I'm sure Hunter doesn't even realize he's spending a lot of time with Summer. But if you tell him, I bet he'll do something about the whole wedge thing."   
  
"It's not a big deal." Blake shrugged.   
  
"It is a big deal." Tori said.   
  
"Blake, you shouldn't keep whatever's bothering you bottled up like that. I mean, look what happened when you just couldn't hold it in anymore." Blake sighed and nodded.  
  
"You're right.... it was the last straw though.... I didn't mean to do it." He confessed. Tori nodded.  
  
"I know you didn't, but you obviously hurt Summer's feelings if she won't even go to Hunter for comfort." She replied. Blake nodded.  
  
"So as usual, it's all the Navy guys' fault." He mumbled. Tori looked at him.  
  
"I'm not saying that Blake.... I know you and Hunter are very close, it's like Dustin and me; we've known each other since we were five.... But Hunter's found love and he's happy.... You hurt the person he loves as well as him when you said that today." She told him.  
  
"I know I did.... I really wish I could take it back." He told her. Tori nodded and hugged him.  
  
"I know you do Blake, I know you do." Blake hugged her back. He looked at her.  
  
"Listen, I know that I totally pissed you off as well, and you probably hate my guts now." He began.   
  
"And I wouldn't be surprised if you said you never wanted to see me, let alone date me, ever again. But, just so you know, if anyone ever tried to hurt you, I-" Tori cut him off with a kiss. She looked at him.  
  
"You did piss me off. But, you're forgiven. And, there is no part of me that wants to end what's going on between us. I mean, come on, it took us over five months to get here. You ain't getting rid of me that easily." She smiled. Blake smiled softly.  
  
"Good, because I don't want to." He said.   
  
"We should probably get back." He said.   
  
"I suggest we don't go back to Storm Chargers. Hunter still might want to kill you."   
  
"I'll talk to him." Blake said.   
  
".Uh.After Summer does." He added. Tori smiled.   
  
"Come on, we can go to my place." She said as she took his hand and the two walked away together.   
  
"Sorry for slapping you before, by the way." Blake smiled.  
  
"Don't be, I deserved it." He said.  
  
"Oh, no question about that, but I'm still sorry." She said.   
  
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Summer continued walking down the beach. Blake was right, she should talk to Hunter, but she needed to think first. She leaned against a wall of jagged rock and sat down on the sand. She swiped at her face, and the tears that had been there moments previous. She leaned her head on her knees and looked out over the ocean. It seemed to calm her troubles. The waves crashed loudly into the beach, and the wind literally flung the sand at you. But Summer didn't care. She figured she was safer here than being somewhere else.  
  
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Hunter looked out the window in hopes that he would see Summer come walking back up. Kelly walked out of the backroom and looked at the pre-occupied Hunter.  
  
"Something wrong?" She asked. Startled Hunter turned around and nodded.  
  
"Yeah...Summer's out there." He said. Kelly's eyes went wide.  
  
"She does realize that were going to be getting a hurricane in the next few hours right?" She questioned. Hunter shook his head.  
  
"I highly doubt she knows." He replied. Kelly sighed.  
  
"Hopefully she gets somewhere with shelter.... I'd hate to be caught on the beach in this kinda storm." The redheaded store manager said. Hunter nodded.  
  
"Yeah." Hunter agreed. He sighed.  
  
"I hope she's OK." Kelly tilted her head a bit and looked at him.  
  
"Something else is bothering you. What's up?" She asked. Hunter shook his head.  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"Hunter." Kelly said.  
  
"I'll find out what's bothering you whether you like it or not, so might as well save us both the trouble and spill." Hunter looked at her.  
  
"OK. Fine." He said.  
  
"Blake, Summer and I had a fight." He said.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"Blake's being an asshole. That's what." Hunter said. Kelly looked at him. She knew there was something more, but didn't want to upset him.  
  
"Want to talk about it?" She asked. Hunter shook his head.  
  
"What done is done with this.... there's nothing to talk about." He told her. Kelly nodded.  
  
"Well I'm here if you need to talk." She told him. Hunter nodded.  
  
"Thanks Kel." He said. Kelly smiled.  
  
"Anytime... Now get out and go find Summer.." She said. Hunter nodded.  
  
"Thanks again."  
  
"Sure thing. Now, be careful. I don't need all my employees getting hurt in this storm." Kelly said. Hunter nodded.  
  
"I'll be back." He said. Kelly grabbed a waterproof bag and first aid kit and tossed it to him.  
  
"Just in case anything has happened, or might happen." She told him, Hunter smiled.  
  
"Thanks Kel... your one in a million." he replied. Kelly smiled.  
  
"I try."  
  
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Summer leaned against a rock wall and shivered majorily. She was absolutely freezing. She pulled her hair out of the ponytail it had been in, hoping to gain some warmth in her body, it didn't do her much good, her hair got whipped around even more. She ran her hands up and down along her arms. She needed to find some sort of cave or crevice, to house herself until this crappy weather blew over. As she kept walking, she stumbled upon another, larger cave and went inside. The front was wide open to all the elements, but there were a few large nicks in the wall, that could provide a great deal of shelter from the elements. Summer sighed and entered the cave.  
  
"And to think I though water was my element... Geez I'm freakin hiding from it!" She exclaimed out loud. Summer rested her head against the wall of the cave and shut her eyes briefly. She felt like everything around her was falling apart. She took a deep breath.  
  
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"SUMMER!" Hunter called as she walked along the beach. The violent winds seemed to whip his voice right back at him. He groaned and kept walking.  
  
"SUMMER!" He called again. 'Where is she?' He though. He picked up the pace a little and began jogging,  
  
"SUMMER!" He screamed at the top of his lungs.  
  
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Summer's eyes snapped open; she could hear someone faintly calling her name. She pushed herself into standing form and walked from the cave. There, walking sort of towards and away from her at the same time was Hunter.  
  
"SUMMER!" He screamed again. Summer cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled back.  
  
"I'm over here!" Hunter swung around and ran to her. He reached her and enveloped her in a hug, which she returned full heartily.  
  
"Oh god, I was so worried about you." Hunter said as he held her tightly.  
  
"I didn't know what happened to you. And then when the storm started, I just got fully freaked. Are you all right?" He asked. He pulled away from her slightly, looking at her face and head, scanning for any injuries.  
  
"I'm OK." Summer said.  
  
"Just a little cold, that's all." She said. Hunter removed his jacket and put in on Summer.  
  
"Hunter, you'll be cold." Summer protested slightly.  
  
"I don't care." Hunter said, looking into her eyes.  
  
"As long as your warm." he told her gently. Summer leaned against his and sighed softly. Suddenly, she began to feel something cold and wet drop onto her head.  
  
"Hunter I think it's starti-" Summer began but was cut off, by the rain dumping on her and Hunter full force. It was blinding. She and Hunter began to run towards the cave she had come from to retrieve Hunter. They both stumbled into the cave. Summer sat back down in the crevice she had found and Hunter sat beside, but to the right of her, he looked into her eyes gently.  
  
"Are you OK?" He asked. Summer nodded.  
  
"I was just.... Upset." She sighed.  
  
"I just needed to wander." Hunter nodded. He took her hand in his, intertwining his fingers in hers.  
  
"Well, next time you need to wander, can you at least tell me where you'll wander to, so in case I have to find you, I know where?" He asked. Summer smiled softly and looked at him.  
  
"You seemed to find me pretty well now." She said.  
  
"Well, that's only because I suspected you'd be at the beach." He said. Summer smiled.  
  
"What gave you that idea?" She asked quietly rubbing her thumb over Hunters hand. Hunter shrugged.  
  
"I guess because you like the water, and water can usually be found off a beach." He said. Summer smiled.  
  
"I'm glad you found me." She said. She then sneezed and shivered. Hunter moved closer to her and wrapped his arms around her.  
  
"I'm sorry Blake said that shit to you." He apologized. Summer shrugged.  
  
"It's not your fault..." She said. Hunter kissed her gently.  
  
"I feel like it is." He said.  
  
"Blake talked to me, actually." She said. Hunter looked at her.  
  
"He did? What did he say? Did he insult you again? I'll kill him!" Hunter said. Summer touched his shoulder.  
  
"Relax, relax." Summer said, trying to calm him down. Summer sighed.  
  
"We talked. I mean, I was still upset at him so a bit of it was me screaming at him and him trying to stay cool, but we talked. He explained why he was so mean earlier." Summer said.  
  
"What's there to explain? Blake's an asshole." Hunter sighed.  
  
"No, Blake was just feeling...jealous I guess."  
  
"Huh?" Hunter asked.  
  
"He said that you and him have always been close."  
  
"Well, yeah, we still are." Hunter said, not understanding her point.  
  
"Not from where he's standing." Summer said.  
  
"Apparently you and I have been spending so much time together, and that's kind of made Blake feel like you're trying to replace him." Hunter's eyes widened a bit. He suddenly felt like crap.  
  
"What? Why didn't he say anything?" Hunter asked. Summer shrugged.  
  
"I suggest you ask Blake that question." She said.  
  
"I told him that he's your brother and I could never come between you two." Hunter released Summer and ran his hands over his face and sighed.  
  
"So all this time he was pissed off at me, for spending time you with and ignoring him?" He asked. Summer nodded.  
  
"Yeah... I guess that's his reason." She replied. Hunter stood and kicked the wall, hard; a few rocks tumbled to the ground. Summer stood, shivering. The jacket had fallen off her shoulders. She went over to Hunter and wrapped her arms around him.  
  
"Please stop Hunter... I know your upset, but your scaring me." She whispered. Hunter nodded sadly and kissed her forehead.  
  
"I'm sorry." He said.  
  
"I guess I'm just pissed off. I feel like this is all my fau-"  
  
"Don't." Summer said.  
  
"This is not your fault. It's mine. I shouldn't have taken all your time. I should've seen that you have a family and-"  
  
"Summer, this isn't your fault. I wanted to be with you. I wanted to spend time with you." Hunter sighed.  
  
"I guess I just didn't realize that I had been ignoring Blake."  
  
"Well now you do...And I'm going to make sure you spend more time with him... He's your family Hunter.... I'm just some girl you're sleeping with." She trailed off towards the last part. Hunter lifted her chin up.  
  
"What was that last part?" He asked. Summer let out a shaky breath and spoke louder.  
  
"I'm just some girl you're sleeping with." She repeated. Hunter looked at her dumbfounded.  
  
"What?" Hunter asked.  
  
"Summer, I love you. You're my girlfriend. Don't ever think otherwise." Summer sighed.  
  
"Blake basically said the same thing." She said. Hunter smiled softly.  
  
"Well, it's true." He said. He kissed her softly. Summer kissed him back. She then leaned against him and closed her eyes.  
  
"I'm glad.... I love you too Hunter." She said. Hunter smiled, and hugged her. She removed herself from the embrace and sat back down against the hard rock wall, Hunter sat beside her.  
  
"So what do we do now?" She asked sliding her hand into his. Hunter shifted his body so Summer was leaning against him.  
  
"I guess we wait out the storm." he told her gently. She nodded.  
  
"I'm scared... I've never been in a hurricane before..." She confessed. Hunter kissed her forehead.  
  
"It's going to be OK." Hunter assured her.  
  
"Hurricane's here usually come and past within a few hours, three or four days at the most. But it isn't too bad."  
  
"Not too comforting, just so you know." Summer smirked. Hunter laughed. He held her closer.  
  
"Well, I guess you'll just have to have me hold you close if you're scared." He smiled. Summer snuggled up against him.  
  
"Hmm, that doesn't sound too bad." She said softly.  
  
()))))))))))))))))(((((((((((((((((((((((((()))))))))))))))))))))))(((((((((  
  
"So, the girl, who passed away, what was her name?" Joey asked. She and Shane sat in the kitchen.  
  
"Uh, Skyla." He said softly. Joey paused, recognizing the name. She looked at Shane.  
  
"Wasn't that what you said the first time we met?" She asked.  
  
"Yeah..." Shane nodded, looking away.  
  
"From the back...you kinda reminded me of her." He said. Joey looked down for a second. She reached over and put her hand over his.  
  
"I'm sorry that I pried." She told him. Shane shrugged.  
  
"S'ok... Not a big deal... Feels good to talk about her again." he confided. Joey smiled.  
  
"Anytime you wanna talk, just let me know." She replied. Shane nodded. "Thanks Joey." Joey smiled.  
  
"No problem." She said. Shane looked at her. Their eyes locked for a bit. Suddenly glass was heard breaking from upstairs, followed by a surprised scream. Joey and Shane jumped up.  
  
"What was that?" Shane asked.  
  
"Larissa." Joey said. She ran up the stairs. Shane followed. They went to Larissa's room, just when she ran out.  
  
"A branch.... It broke through my window." Larissa said. She seemed shaken and scared. Joey walked past her into the room. Sure enough, through the window. By Larissa's bed, was a branch from the tree that was right outside the window.  
  
"I had just gotten up from my bed to go on the computer when it happened." Larissa said softly.  
  
"I...If I had been just a second slow..." Her voice trailed off. Joey looked at her. She went over and hugged her. Joey turned to Shane.  
  
"Do you have any idea as to what were supposed to do during a hurricane?" She asked him.  
  
"No clue..." He admitted. Joey sighed. They were going to have to do something.  
  
"Ok... so now what?" Larissa asked shakily. Both Joey and Shane shrugged.  
  
"Wonderful... So were basically up shit creek without a paddle." Larissa summarized. Joey and Shane both nodded, chuckling.  
  
"Although, judging by that hole in your window and the rain, chances are, we're going to need a paddle." Shane smiled. Larissa laughed a bit.  
  
"OK, uh, Lar, unplug anything that might go boom from the water." Joey said, laughing a bit from Shane's joke.  
  
"Shane and I will try to find something to board up the window." Larissa nodded and began unplugging her computer and other electronics in her room. Shane and Joey wandered to the basement of the house and grabbed a couple wooden boards and carried them upstairs. They hauled them into Larissa's room and leaned them against the wall. Joey ran back downstairs and grabbed a hammer and nails. She carried them back upstairs, she gave a handful of nails to Shane and kept the others for herself. They began pounding the nails into the wood, into the wall. After a while, they successfully boarded up the window.  
  
"OK, after we're back to sunny Cali weather, we can go about putting an actual window in here." Joey said, smiling at Larissa.  
  
"Ah no, don't. It looks funky, original." Larissa said.  
  
"AKA, in case we have a hurricane again, you rather have wood there instead of glass." Joey smirked.  
  
"Well, yeah, that too." Larissa said, smiling sheepishly. Shane smiled, shaking his head at the two.  
  
"OK, come on, let's go downstairs." Joey said, throwing her arm over Larissa's shoulder. The two left the room with Shane following.  
  
))))))))))))))))))))))))))))(((((((((((((((((((((((((((  
  
Summer and Hunter gently drifted to sleep holding each other. The storm raging in the background. A few hours later, Hunter awoke to something shaking. Looking directly at Summer, he found that she was shivering so badly, it had turned to shaking. Hunter shook her gently trying to wake her up.  
  
"Summer... wake up baby doll." He said gently shaking her, cold body. Summer's eyes fluttered open slightly.  
  
"Yeah?" She asked quietly. He removed her from his arms and leaned her against the wall.  
  
"Stay there for a second." He told her. Summer nodded.  
  
"So.... cold..." She muttered. Hunter cursed himself... She had been so warm, caught a chill being out so long, then got caught in the rain... no wonder she was freezing. Grabbing around in the dark for the first aid kit, he popped it open and removed the emergency blanket. He crawled back over to Summer, who had fallen asleep again. Her skin was like ice to touch. Her tank top wasn't keeping any heat in, so Hunter removed his tee-shirt and slid it over her head gently, but hard enough to wake her up.  
  
"Hunter?" She murmured. Hunter looked at her.  
  
"Yes baby?" He asked. Summer smiled sleepily.  
  
"Thank you." She said. Hunter nodded. He kissed her gently as he slide his jacket over her then used the blanket to cover them both.  
  
"Your welcome." He replied as he fell asleep.  
  
())))(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((()))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))  
  
"Do you think Summer's OK?" Larissa asked. It was later that evening. Larissa and Joey sat together on the living room couch with a blanket over their laps. Joey smiled and put a arm around Larissa.  
  
"I'm sure she's fine." Joey assured her. Shane was sitting next to Joey. He tugged on the blanket a bit. Joey playfully glared at him.  
  
"What are you doing?" She asked.  
  
"I'm cold too, I need some blanket." Shane said.  
  
"Well too bad." Joey smiled.  
  
"This blanket only fits two."  
  
"OK, so, Larissa and I can share." Shane smirked.  
  
"Oh ho, how funny." Joey said sarcastically. Larissa rolled her eyes at the two. They were flirting so badly! But then again if Larissa told Joey that, she get her ass kicked. So Larissa kept her mouth shut.  
  
"I'm going to go to bed... night Joey, Shane." Larissa said.  
  
"Night Larissa." They chorused. Larissa waved and headed towards her room to sleep. Shane sighed.  
  
"Well, I guess I should attempt getting home." He said. Joey looked at him.  
  
"In this weather? Are you insane?" Joey asked.  
  
"Well, what else am I supposed to do?" He asked.  
  
"Stay here." Joey reasoned.  
  
"I stayed here last night. I've been wearing the same clothes since yesterday I need to go home." Shane said. Joey smirked and pinched her nose.  
  
"Well, I wasn't going to say anything, but you are a lil ripe." She giggled. Shane playfully shoved her.  
  
"Haha, very funny." He said. Joey smiled.  
  
"Seriously though. I think you should stay."  
  
"Why Josephina Sanchez, are you trying to seduce me?" Shane grinned. Joey rolled her eyes and punched his shoulder.  
  
"You wish." She said.  
  
"I just don't want the guilt of letting you walk in that weather when a projectile tree branch or hubcap or whatever, decapitates you." Shane rolled his eyes.  
  
"I'm so loved." He muttered. Joey laughed.  
  
"Oh it's ok Shane.... we keep you around for entertainment." She joked. Shane nodded.  
  
"I know." He laughed. Joey smiled.  
  
"Ok so you can have/use Summer's room to sleep in." She told him. Shane nodded.  
  
"Sounds good." He replied. Joey smiled.  
  
"I'm going to my room to go to bed, so you can do whatever the heck you want... Just don't destroy the house." She joked. Shane laughed.  
  
"I can do that." He replied. Joey climbed off the couch and sauntered towards her room.  
  
"Night." She called.  
  
"Night Joey." He responded softly. Shane watched her disappear up the stairs. He sighed. Part of him wished she would've wanted him to sleep with her again, but he wasn't going to push it. He stood up and stretched a bit. He went up the stairs and headed towards Summer's room. Suddenly, Larissa popped out of her room, getting in his way.  
  
"Hey." He said.  
  
"Uh, hey." Shane said. Larissa smirked, crossing her arms over her chest.  
  
"So, exactly how long have you had a thing for my best friend?" She asked innocently. Shane's eyes widened a bit.  
  
"Huh?" He replied.  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about." He said, trying to play cool. Larissa rolled her eyes.  
  
"Don't even go there. I saw the flirting going on." She said.  
  
"Flirting? Wha-" Larissa waved her hand dismissively.  
  
"Whatever. Anyway, just thought you should know, I'm onto you, but don't worry, I'll keep my mouth shut." She smiled.  
  
"Uh...Right...Thanks." He sighed. Larissa smiled.  
  
"No prob." She said.  
  
"G'night." She said, retreating back to her room. Shane sighed.  
  
"The women in this house are insane." He muttered as he went to Summer's room.  
  
))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((  
  
Summer awoke about 4 hours after Hunter had woken her up in the middle of the night. She awoke to find that a warm flannel blanket, a jacket, a tee- shit, and her tank top and bra covered her. The shirt and jacket were Hunter's. She lifted the blanket back a little to find Hunter lying there shirtless. Why had he given her his shirt and jacket? She placed her hand on his chest, to find it cool, but normal. Smiling gently, she snuggled up close to Hunter, wrapped her arms around him and drifted back to sleep.  
  
Hunter awoke a short time later, to find his blond bombshell of a girlfriend laying practically on top of his, looking quiet happy. Kissing her gently, he woke her.  
  
"Morning gorgeous." He whispered, cupping her face gently. Summer smiled.  
  
"Morning Hunter." She said kissing him gently. Hunter sat up, the blanket slipping from his chest and upper body. Summer lay their staring at his gorgeous body. Hunter tilted his head and looked at her.  
  
"Like what ya see?" He asked. Summer smacked her lips and nodded.  
  
"Oh yah." She told him. Hunter smiled. He leaned over and kissed her passionately. Summer responded with equal emotion. Hunter looked out the cave and saw the hurricane had passed.  
  
"Well, the weather is back to normal. So, it's safe to leave." He said.  
  
"Who says I have any intention of leaving?" She asked, grinning wickedly. Hunter looked at her.  
  
"Are you purposing that we do it right here?" He asked. Summer nodded.  
  
"Yeah why not?" She asked. Hunter chuckled.  
  
"Um the fact that one, we'd be doing it on a rock floor, not so great for the back, and two, I don't have any protection." he told her. Summer frowned.  
  
"Aren't guys supposed to carry one in their wallets like all the time? At least, that's what they do in the movies." Summer said. Hunter chuckled again, rolling his eyes.  
  
"Next time we spend the night in a cave, I'll remember that." He said. Summer giggled.  
  
"Are you suggesting we do this again?" She asked. Hunter nodded.  
  
"Well why not." He responded softly kissing her. Summer smiled into the kiss.  
  
"Well, next time, forget the rain and violent winds. Shivering kind of ruins the mood." Summer smiled.  
  
"Well, what about body heat?" Hunter grinned. Summer laughed.  
  
"Good point." She smiled. Hunter leaned over and kissed her gently.  
  
"Your so beautiful." He murmured. Summer blushed.  
  
"No I'm not." She replied. Hunter ran his thumb down her cheek.  
  
"Yes, yes you are." He said.  
  
"You're the most beautiful person I've ever seen." Hunter said, looking into her eyes.  
  
"And I have to wonder, what incredibly good thing I must've done to deserve someone like you in my life." Summer smiled.  
  
"You were just you." She said as she kissed him softly. Hunter grinned.  
  
"It must have been something more than that." He replied, hugging her tiny frame. Summer leaned against him and smiled.  
  
"No.... you were just you." She repeated. Hunter smiled and kissed her forehead.  
  
"I think you might be right about that." He laughed. Summer rolled her eyes and kissed his jaw line.  
  
"Hey I thought we were gonna wait till we got home to do this?" He softly asked. Summer shrugged.  
  
"I really don't care. As long as your there." She replied.  
  
"Well, I guess we should head back at warp speed." Hunter said softly.  
  
"What about Blake?" She asked.  
  
"If he's there, we can just kick him out." He smiled. Summer looked at him. Hunter sighed.  
  
"Or nicely ask him to vacate the premises for a few hours."  
  
"A few hours? Well, someone thinks highly of himself." Summer smirked.  
  
"Always." Hunter grinned. Summer giggled. "Lead the way love." She smiled. Hunter stood and took her by the hand and lifted her onto her feet. She looked down and was still wearing Hunter's shirt and jacket.  
  
"Babe... You might want your shirt... I can't fend off all those girls out there once they get a look at your body." She winked. Hunter grinned madly. He grabbed his shirt.  
  
"Have to reserve this property for a beautiful blond bombshell." He smiled. Summer laughed.  
  
"I didn't know you and Tori were...." She joked. Hunter's mouth dropped and Summer took of running from the cave.  
  
"Your so dead Summer!" He yelled after her, chasing her.  
  
()))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))(((((((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))(  
  
Blake awoke, feeling Tori in his arms. For a moment, he thought it was a dream, and then he remembered that Tori had brought him to her place during the hurricane and the two ended up falling asleep on her couch. He shifted slightly and caught a glimpse of the blond goddess lying in his arms. She looked so peaceful. Blake didn't want to disturb her sleep, so shifting again, he kiss her neck gently and fell back to sleep.  
  
End Chapter. 


	16. Well we arn't in OZ anymore

Chapter 16  
  
Summer sprinted down the beach, with Hunter trailing close behind. Hunter was falling back and breathing hard. Summer slowed to a stop and turned around.  
  
"You ok?" She called. Hunter looked up at her and grinned evilly.  
  
"I will be." He snickered taking off at her again. Summer screeched loudly and darted away from him. She took off in the other direction screaming like a banshee down the coast. Hunter was laughing hysterically. Hunter finally caught her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her up slightly, spinning her around.  
  
"Gotcha!" He smiled. Summer giggled. Hunter set her down and spun her around to face him. Summer slid her arms around his shoulders.  
  
"Only because I wanted you to get me." She smiled softly as they kissed.  
  
"Hmm, isn't that what everyone says when they get caught?" He asked softly. Summer smiled.   
  
"We should really get home." She said, winking a little. Hunter thought about it for a minute.  
  
"I guess we could go home...." He began. Summer looked at him.  
  
"What are you implying Mr. Bradley?" She asked seductively. Hunter kissed her passionately.  
  
"Wanna go back to the cave?" He asked. Summer's eyes danced.  
  
"Well... if you say so." She replied, licking her lips again. Summer and Hunter nearly ran back to the cave. ()))))))))))))))))))))))))))(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( (((((((((((((((((((((((((((())))))))))) Dustin revved up his bike. He was taken advantage of the sudden change in weather to take his bike out on the track.  
  
'Such a perfect day.' He though inwardly. He drove his bike over a jump and brought it back down gently to the ground and sped around the track. Stopping beside his truck, he jumped off his bike and ripped his Moto gear off his now sweaty body. The sun was out again and the temperature had shot up 20 degrees. He was boiling hot.  
  
"Who the hell turned up the heat?" he groaned loudly tossing his stuff into his truck.  
  
"California weather is always pretty weird." Came a voice behind him. An all too familiar voice. He spun around to see Marah standing there. She was dressed in normal clothes-jeans and a purple tank top-and her hair was down in the soft curls he had seen her in a few months before.   
  
"Wha.... What are you doing here?" Dustin stammered, stepping back a bit. Marah shrugged.  
  
"Free country.... I'm just wandering." She replied. Dustin looked at her.  
  
"O...k..." He began. Marah sighed.  
  
"I knew you wouldn't believe me." She told him, sniffling. Dustin approached her cautiously.  
  
"What do you want me to believe? You betrayed me!" He snarled. Marah backed up.  
  
"Dustin I-" She began.   
  
"You don't understand!" She exclaimed.  
  
"What's there to understand?" Dustin asked, crossing his arms.   
  
"I trusted you. I thought you had actually changed. Even when everyone else didn't buy it, I did. And what did you decide to do with that trust? You used it against me and my friends to help your little Bee friend. So, excuse me if I'm not exactly sympathetic to whatever new insult your uncle or your sister have said to you this time." He said, his voice sounding cold and angry. Marah looked at him and sniffed again.  
  
"Why are you being so cold towards me?" She asked quietly. Dustin laughed darkly.  
  
"Oh yes I forgot...You betrayed me, and you don't want me to be cold. I don't need this." He growled walking away. Marah ran after him.  
  
"I'm sorry!" She called. Dustin swung around.  
  
"Sorry doesn't cut it Marah...you broke my heart!" He screamed at her before taking off again. Marah dropped onto her knees and buried her head into her hands, sobbing loudly.  
  
"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry Dustin." She whispered. Dustin heard her crying and stopped.   
  
'No, you moron, her crying was exactly what fooled you last time. KEEP GOING!' His mind screamed. Dustin groaned softly as he turned around.   
  
'No! Wrong way. Walk AWAY from the evil space ninja chick!' Dustin slowly walked back over to where Marah was. Dustin knelt in front of Marah and lifted her chin gently.  
  
"Marah...I'm sorry." He whispered. Marah looked into his eyes.  
  
"Did you mean what you said....about caring for me?" She asked quietly. Dustin nodded.  
  
"Of course...why wouldn't I?" He replied. Marah shrugged.  
  
"Nobody's ever cared for me before...." She whispered again. Dustin pulled her into a gentle embrace.  
  
"I'm so sorry." She sobbed against his shoulder.   
  
"I didn't want to betray you, really. After you and I talked at the...well, here actually...Beevil came up to me. She had seen the whole thing. She...She said that there was no use trying to be good because no one would ever accept me. She said that I'd just be all alone. My uncle will disown me, and you guys wouldn't trust me. I was so scared. I didn't want to be alone. I had to do it. I had to.." Her voice trailed off into sobs. Dustin held her tighter.  
  
"Shh, shh." Dustin whispered.  
  
"It'll be alright." He told her gently as he rubbed her back gently.  
  
"Just let it all out...I'm not going anywhere." He said. Marah clutched his shirt tighter, and continued to sob.  
  
"I haven't been able to stop thinking about you." Marah said softly. Dustin was slightly surprised by that. He looked down at her.  
  
"I............I haven't been able to stop thinking about you either." He said. Marah lifted her head and looked up at him. Dustin looked deep into her beautiful eyes. He slowly leaned in and kissed her smooth lips softly.  
  
))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( (((((((((((((  
  
()))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((())))))))) ))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) Larissa stood in a technology store. She was in desperate need for some computer discs to backup files, and she was running too low for her comfort. She had intended on buying them yesterday, but the hurricane kind of put a rain check on that.......no pun intended. She picked up a case of floppy discs and went to go pay for them when she saw a new computer game she had wanted to get. Her heart fluttered a bit as she went over to get it.  
  
"Oh...Great." She groaned. The game was just a little out of her reach. She got on her tiptoes and tried reaching it, no luck.   
  
"God damnit." She muttered. She jumped up, trying to reach the game, still nothing.  
  
"Need help?" Came a voice. The voice surprised her, causing her to land badly on her foot, twisting it slightly. She gasped as she fell on her butt.   
  
"Ow." Larissa groaned.   
  
"Oh, wow, I'm sorry." Came the voice as someone knelt beside her. She looked up and gasped slightly. "Oh.........Uh...C...Cam.... Hi." She stammered. Cam smiled.  
  
"Hey... Larissa right?" He asked holding his hand out for her. Larissa nodded.  
  
"Yeah that's me." Cam nodded and helped Larissa onto her feet.  
  
"Ouch." She murmured. Cam knelt down and looked at her ankle.  
  
"Well it's not broken, but you twisted it pretty good." He commented. Larissa rolled her eyes.  
  
"No kidding." She grumbled. Cam laughed and slipped his arm underneath hers and around her back to help support her. Larissa's heart rammed inside her chest.   
  
"Uh...Thanks." She said softly. Cam smiled.   
  
"No problem. Anyway, were you trying to get a copy of that game?" He asked.  
  
"Oh no, I like jumping up and down in tech stores." She said sarcastically. Cam laughed.  
  
"Right." He said. He reached up and got the game for her. He handed it to her.  
  
"Thanks." She said. Cam smiled.  
  
"No problem." He smiled. He helped Larissa over to the counter where she paid for her purchases then waited for Cam to pay for his.  
  
"You didn't strike me as a computer whiz." Larissa mused as she saw what he was buying, lots of intricate tech supplies.  
  
"What do you mean?" Cam asked as he took his bag. He helped her walk out of the store.  
  
"Well, computer whizzes tend to be geeky looking and such." Larissa replied. Cam smirked and looked into Larissa's eyes.  
  
"Well, then what were you doing in the computer store? You know any geeky computer whizzes?" He asked.  
  
"That would be me." Larissa said.  
  
"No way, you don't look geeky at all." He gushed softly. Larissa bit her lip. She looked away to hide her blush. Cam gulped a bit.   
  
"I...I think you look...uh..........pretty..." He said, sheepishly.   
  
'Pretty? Pretty? Oh man, you'd think a ranger and tech genius would be a bit more articulate.' Cam thought to himself. Larissa blushed harder.  
  
"Thanks Cam." She whispered. Cam smiled.  
  
"Not a problem." He replied. Larissa saw a bench nearby. She limped over to it. Cam helped her. Larissa smiled a bit more. They sat down on the bench together.  
  
"So, uh......How are you?" Cam asked. Larissa shrugged.  
  
"I'm all right I guess."  
  
"So, you guys weathered last nights weather all right?" He asked. Larissa nodded.  
  
"A tree branch nearly impaled my head, but yeah." Larissa said. Cam paled slightly.  
  
"What?" He asked.   
  
"Well, I was sitting on my bed, and then got up, and like a second later, a tree branch broke through my window."   
  
"Oh my god, are you all right?" Cam asked fearfully. Larissa backed away holding her hands up in front of Cam.  
  
"I'm perfectly fine... I moved right before it broke my window." She told him gently. Cam sighed.  
  
"Well that's a relief that you weren't hurt." He replied. Larissa nodded.  
  
"Yeah. Joey and I boarded up the window." Larissa said. "Man, you should've seen your face. You looked like you were about to have a heart attack." Larissa chuckled slightly.  
  
"Well, I got worried about you." Cam said.  
  
"About me?" Larissa asked.   
  
"Why?" Cam shrugged.  
  
"I like you." he blurted out. He paled immedality. Larissa blushed three different shades of red.  
  
"Re..Real...really?" She asked quietly. Cam nodded shaking like a leaf.  
  
"Yeah.... I do..."He replied. Larissa smiled.  
  
"Well...Uh..." Larissa said, unsure how to respond. She had never been in this situation before. She bit her lip.   
  
"I...Uh..."  
  
"Find me incredibly weird and annoying?" Cam blurted out, feeling nervous and insecure. Larissa stared at him.  
  
"Huh?" She asked.   
  
"No....No...........I just..." Cam sighed.  
  
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything." Cam said as he stood up.   
  
"I better go." He said, turning to leave. Larissa reached out and grabbed his arm.  
  
"Wait!" She said. Cam turned around and faced her.  
  
"Don't go." She whispered. He looked at her.  
  
"But...I..." He said. Larissa smiled.  
  
"I never said I didn't feel the same way." She said. Cam's heart lifted.  
  
Really?" He asked trying not to sound so excited. Larissa nodded.  
  
"Yeah... your cute." Larissa replied blushing. Cam blushed as well.  
  
"Thanks..." He said. Larissa smiled.  
  
"Your welcome." She replied.  
  
"I feel like such an idiot right now." Cam said, sitting back down.   
  
"Well, how do you think I feel?" Larissa asked.   
  
"I was like a stammering buffoon."  
  
"I thought you're stammering was kind of cute." Cam said softly. Larissa blushed furiously. Cam looked down sheepishly.   
  
"I...I think that kind of caught my attention when I first met you." He added honestly.  
  
"So, if I had been confident and eloquent, you wouldn't have given me a second glance?" Larissa teased.  
  
"OK, the stammering was one of the things that caught my attention." Cam smiled. Larissa blushed again.  
  
"So where do we go from here?" She asked. Cam shrugged.  
  
"Where do you want to go with this?" He replied. Larissa looked at him and boldly smiled and took his hand in hers. Cam's eyes widened, but then softened.  
  
"This...is where I want to go with it." She told him.  
  
"This works." He said smiling. Larissa giggled softly.  
  
"So.......Uh.......Do you want me to walk you home?" He asked. Larissa nodded, her smile still going from ear to ear.  
  
"I'd love that." She said. ())))))))))))))))))(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((()))))))))))))))  
  
"So, do hurricanes around here usually go away like a flash in a pan?" Joey asked. Shane was sitting across from her at the kitchen table. "The weather here is hard to predict." Shane replied. "Sometimes the hurricanes last for days, weeks even, and sometimes they leave just as suddenly as they came."   
  
"For some reason, you just sounded incredibly deep and philosophical when you said that." Joey giggled. In the back of her mind, it reminded her of her mother. Sometimes she was cool and carefree and pretty awesome, but there were times when the sensei in her kicked in. Joey loved listening to her mother talk like that when she was a little girl. She sounded so mystical and beautiful. Joey smiled sadly and played with her nails, Shane, noticing her 'weirdness' decided to change the topic.  
  
"So what are we going to do today? Seems like too good a day to waist." He replied. Joey shrugged.  
  
"I really don't care what we do." She told him truthfully. Shane nodded for a moment then spoke again.  
  
"Wanna go to the skate park?" He asked. Joey looked at him.  
  
"Oh why not." She smiled.  
  
"Don't worry, if that jerk who bothered you the other day shows up, I'll smack him with my board." Shane smirked. Joey giggled.  
  
"Ah, my hero." She said sarcastically. The door opened and they looked up to see Larissa walk in with Cam supporting her.   
  
"What happened to you?" Joey asked.  
  
"I fell in the computer store." Larissa said. Joey could see the happy and love struck look on her friends face and had to restrain herself from rolling her eyes. 'Not her too.' She thought. She stood up.   
  
"We'll be right back." She said to the guys as she went over to Larissa and helped her up to her room. They needed to do some girl talk. Cam and Shane looked at each other and chuckled.  
  
"Strange coincidence." Shane said. Cam nodded.  
  
"What are you doing over here?" He asked Shane. Shane's cheeks took a rosy tint to them.  
  
"Hangin with Joey...you?" Shane retorted playfully. Cam blushed.  
  
"I brought Rissa home because she fell in the computer store." He muttered. Shane laughed.  
  
"There's some secret meaning behind all this isn't there?" Shane joked. Cam laughed nervously.  
  
"No...No whatever gave you that idea?" Cam asked. Shane shrugged.  
  
"Perhaps Larissa's 100 watt smile and Joey's urgency to get her upstairs." Shane said. Cam bit his lip.  
  
"Is Joey going to try to kill me?" Cam asked.  
  
"I dunno. What did you do?" Shane asked carefully. Cam caught what he was getting at and looked at him horrified.  
  
"We didn't do THAT, that's for sure." Cam said quickly.  
  
()))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( (()))))))))))))))))))))))))) "So, miss smiles, what's going on?" Joey asked. She sat Larissa down on her bed and brought a cold washcloth and wrapped it around Larissa's ankle.  
  
"Nothing." Larissa replied quickly, too quickly for Joey's taste. Joey raised an eyebrow and looked at Larissa.  
  
"Yeah, and if nothing happened, I must be the mother of the Hanson family." Joey replied. Larissa blushed.  
  
"Ok... I think Cam and I might be...." Larissa started. Joey's eyes went wide. Larissa stared at her.  
  
"I'm not pregnant Joey...Geez..." Larissa sighed. Joey let out a shaky breath.  
  
"Thank god for that." Joey replied.  
  
"Cam and I.........Might be an....Item..." Larissa said softly. She looked at Joey.   
  
"Please don't yell at me like you yelled at Summer." She begged. Joey saw the pleading and desperation in her best friends eyes. Joey sighed.  
  
"Don't worry. Yelling and Sum only got you both mad at me and Summer living with Hunter, so, I've learned my lesson." She said. Larissa smiled.   
  
"Doesn't mean I like it though." Joey quickly added. She thought for a second.   
  
"But, I guess Cam seem's nice enough. I mean, if you just had to get together with someone, I guess I'm happy it's Cam and not some perverted jerk or something." Larissa smiled brightly and hugged Joey.  
  
"Thanks Jo.... your the greatest!" Larissa laughed. Joey smiled and hugged her friend.  
  
"No problem Rissa.... No problem." She replied.  
  
"So, can you ask Cam to come up here?" Larissa asked as Joey went up to leave. Joey looked at her suspiciously. Larissa rolled her eyes.   
  
"Jo, we haven't even kissed yet for god's sakes!" Joey looked at her oddly.  
  
"You haven't?" She asked.   
  
"But I thought he was your boyfriend." Joey teased.   
  
"Hey, don't start with me. You're 18 and you've never kissed anyone before." Larissa pointed out.  
  
"Cheap shot." Joey replied. Larissa looked at her friend sympethically.  
  
"Sorry Jo... one day you'll meet prince charming... Promise." Larissa told her. Joey nodded.  
  
"Yeah right." Joey responded. Larissa sighed.  
  
"Can't say I didn't try." Larissa told her.  
  
"Although, Shane seems to be getting under your defenses.... And you did have that dream/hallucination/whatever about him. Don't you think that means something?" Larissa asked.  
  
"No, it means nothing, absolutely nothing at all." Joey insisted quickly.   
  
"Sure, whatever you say." Larissa smirked. Joey glared at her as she left. Larissa chuckled as Joey walked down the stairs.  
  
"Means nothing at all my ass." She said out loud. Joey walked down the stairs and saw Cam and Shane. Cam looked at her, he seemed to have some fear in his eyes. Joey smirked. 'Good.' She thought. She went over to him.  
  
"So, Larissa told me you two are a thing." Joey said. Cam nodded.  
  
"Uh..yeah, I guess we are." He said.   
  
"Now, saying how much I don't like it would be a wasted effort, cause Larissa's an individual and she'll do what she wants, and I'd rather not have her pissed at me. But, let me just say one thing-You hurt her, in any which way or form, well, let's just say I'm a resourceful girl, I can get a hold of a shotgun and a shovel. Understood?" She asked. Shane had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. Cam nodded shaking.  
  
"Yes." He said.   
  
"Good, glad to see we're on the same page here. Now, Larissa wants you to come up to her room." She said. Cam went to walk past her. Joey grabbed his arm to stop him.   
  
"And if I find out anything requiring the removal of clothes goes on up there, Lorena Bobbit and I will have something in common." She let him go and watched him as he went upstairs.  
  
"Man, you're scary." Shane commented. Joey smiled evilly.  
  
"Why thank you!" She replied happily. Shane just looked at her.  
  
"Now I know that you and Summer have something in common." Shane said. Joey looked at him.  
  
"What that? Brains? Talent? What?" She asked. Shane looked at her.  
  
"None of those." He replied. Joey put her hands on her hips.  
  
"Well, what pretell is it then?" She demanded. Shane chuckled.  
  
"The ability to strike fear into the hearts of men." He replied. Joey burst out laughing.  
  
"Hey...I taught her everything she knows!" Joey boasted. Shane chuckled.  
  
"I know..." He replied.  
  
"So, wait, how am I not striking fear in your heart?" Joey asked. She gasped.   
  
"I knew it, you're not a man!" She joked.   
  
"Haha, very funny." Shane said.   
  
"Well, you walked right into that one." Joey shrugged.   
  
"Well, anyway, you don't strike fear into me, because I know it's all an act." Shane said sincerely.  
  
)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( ((((  
  
Summer and Hunter lay in each others embrace, with only a tiny blanket covering their naked bodies. Summer leaned her head against Hunter's collarbone, still breathing heavily. Hunter kissed along her neck and ran his hands over her back. Summer giggled as he ran his hands over a ticklish spot on her sides.  
  
"Ticklish eh?" He grunted sexily.  
  
"Oh yes, I'm incredibly sexy always." Hunter smirked. Summer rolled her eyes.  
  
"Pay a guy a compliment post-sex and he gets all egotistical, ruining the moment." Summer sighed.   
  
"Well, I guess we'll just have to have another moment." Hunter winked. Summer grinned.  
  
"Goodness, you recover fast." She said. "Just another of my incredible qualities." Hunter grinned.  
  
"Shut up." Summer said.  
  
"Yes ma'am." Hunter said as he went and kissed her hotly.  
  
"Mmm." Summer moaned softly as she and Hunter went at it again.  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
A little while later Hunter and Summer exited their cave holding hands.  
  
"Gee, twice in a period of three hours...some new record eh Hunter" Summer joked kissing him lightly. Hunter grinned.  
  
"Well, I am a sex god." He joked. Summer rolled her eyes and shoved her hands into her back pockets and skipped along the waters edge. Hunter watched as she spun around, her arms shooting out around her. She looked so carefree and innocent. Hunter smiled. Summer caught him looking at her.   
  
"What?" She asked.  
  
"Nothing, I was just thinking about how incredibly beautiful and amazing you are, and how lucky I am to have you in my life." Summer smiled and went over to him.  
  
"I'm the lucky one." Summer said softly, putting her arms around his shoulders. Hunter looked at her and kissed her gently.  
  
"Why are you the lucky one? Can't we share?" He asked. Summer chuckled.  
  
"Guess we could.. But I don't wanna share." She pouted. Hunter laughed.  
  
"You don't even wanna share with me?" He asked sadly. Pushing his lips out, making it look like he was pouting. Summer bit his lower lip affectionately. Hunter groaned.  
  
"You're evil." He muttered.  
  
"Using your sexiness to get what you want. So low." He said. Summer grinned.  
  
"You know you like it." She muttered, running her hands through his hair. Hunter smiled and pulled her closer.  
  
"You.... are so incedabibly beautiful." He mused. Summer blushed furiously and Hunter stole a kiss. Summer sighed.  
  
"I think we should get home." She said softly.  
  
"I think you might be right." Hunter said. He pulled away and took her hand. The two left the beach. Summer pulled the keys out of her front pocket in her jeans and tossed them between her hands as they approached her car. Hunter tilted his head and looked at her.  
  
"Having fun?" He asked. Summer giggled lightly.  
  
"I guess.... wanna drive?" She asked tossing her car keys to him. Hunter caught them.  
  
"You sure?" He asked. Summer nodded.  
  
"Why not... It's not like you're a bad driver or anything." She replied, climbing into the passenger seat.  
  
"OK." Hunter said as he got behind the wheel. ()))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))(((((((((((((((((((((()))))))))) ))))))))))))))))))))))))) Blake and Tori sat in her living room talking.   
  
"So, are you going to talk to Hunter?" Tori asked.  
  
"I'm going to try. But, I mean, I was a royal asshole yesterday, I wouldn't be surprised if her never spoke to me again." Blake sighed. Tori patted his hand gently.  
  
"I'm sure everything will be all right." She said. Blake sighed.  
  
"I really hope your right about that... I wouldn't be surprised if he tried to kill me." He told Tori, who smiled sadly.  
  
"Hey... give him some credit... He hasn't killed you yet!" She replied gently. Blake laughed hauntingly.  
  
"But still.... I should have been more forward with the fact that he was basically ignoring me." Blake responded.  
  
"I'm sure he didn't even know he was doing it." Tori assured him.   
  
"If you guys just talk it out, I'm sure everything will turn out all right." She said. Blake smiled and kissed her cheek.  
  
"I love your optimism." He smiled.   
  
"I think I would've ripped my hair out by now without it." Tori smiled and put her arms around his shoulders.  
  
"Hmm, that would be bad. I think your hair looks nice as it is, on your head." She said. Blake smiled and kissed her softly.  
  
"I'm glad you like my hair." Blake mused. Tori giggled.  
  
"Oh you have to tell me where you get it done." Tori burst out laughing. Blake chuckled.  
  
"OK, suddenly I feel like your best gal pal, and not your boyfriend." Blake smirked. Tori shifted so she was now straddling his lap. She kissed him passionately.  
  
"Well, I don't exactly do that with my best gal pals." Tori smirked against his lips.   
  
"That's an interesting mental picture." Blake remarked. Tori smacked his arm.  
  
"Get your mind out of the gutter all the time Blake!" She scolded. Blake chuckled. Tori rolled her eyes.  
  
"Well now I know how Summer felt when you destroyed hers and Hunter's 'Moment.'" Tori told him. Blake grinned wildly.  
  
"If I'm good.... can I have a cookie?" He asked childishly. Tori stared at him.  
  
"No... No cookies." She replied. Blake frowned.  
  
"Well.... how bout a kiss then?" He asked. Tori smiled and kissed him hotly.  
  
"I can't say no to that." She murmured against his lips.  
  
"Good." Blake sighed. He held her close to him.   
  
"Have I mentioned how much I'm glad we're together?" He asked softly. Tori smiled.  
  
"Perhaps, but, a girl can't tire of hearing it." She said. Blake kissed her softly.   
  
"I'm incredibly," he said between kisses.   
  
"Absolutely.........Extremely...Totally...Completely............Ecstatic." He said, kissing her repeatedly. Tori giggled.  
  
))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( (((  
  
Joey parked herself on a bench that had a good view of where Shane was going to be skating. She pulled her knees up to her chest and watched Shane with slight interest. He was good. Even she could admit that. But she had seen better. She would just have to deal with watching Shane for a while. A few minutes later, Shane rolled over to where she was sitting.  
  
"Looking good out there." She commented. Shane smiled.  
  
"Thanks Joey." He responded. Joey smiled, a rare smile.  
  
)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( ((((((((((  
  
After doing some serious making out, Blake and Tori decided to go bike riding. They playfully raced along the sand on the beach and up a hill. Unbeknownst to them, they were being watched by Zurgane. He growled lowly. He knew Lothor always said a ranger could only be destroyed in their ranger form, but he was sick of the rangers, he had to get rid of them, now. ())))))))))))))))))))))))))))((((((((((((((((((((()))))))))))))))))))))))))) ))))))))))))))))(((((((((((((((((((((((((()((((((((((( Cam left Larissa's house, telling her he had to get the things he bought home. The two smiled sweetly at each other and he left. He walked back to Ninja Opts, still smiling broadly at today's events. Cam bounded down the stairs into Ninja Ops and dumped his belongings into his room and parked himself in front of the computer. Cam's brows creased into his forehead noticing that Zurgane was following Tori and Blake. Muttering to himself he decided to call Hunter, Shane and Dustin to see if they could get there to help Blake and Tori. Who knows maybe their new friends would make another appearance. Cam lowered his hand to call Hunter via morpher, when he remember that if he was with Summer, she'd get suspicious. Cam typed in Hunter's cell phone number and called the Crimson Ranger.  
  
)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))((((((((((((((((((((((((( ((((((((((((((((  
  
Summer had been holding Hunter's hand as she stared out the window at the scenery. She was about to say something when a loud beeping came from Hunter's back pocket. Smiling evilly, Summer said,  
  
"Um, Hunter. Your ass is ringing."  
  
"Huh?" Hunter asked. He chuckled and reached for his cell phone.   
  
"Hello?" He answered.   
  
"Hunter, it's Cam." Came the voice of the green samurai ranger.   
  
"I was just doing a quick check on the city, and some something unpleasant." Hunter froze, knowing that meant monster attack. He looked at Summer, who was looking at him, puzzled.   
  
"Uh...OK...Cam, sure, I'll be over to help you with your car in a bit." Hunter said quickly. He hung up the phone. He looked at Summer.  
  
"Everything OK?" Summer asked.  
  
"Yeah, it's just Cam, car trouble." He said.   
  
"I'll be back in a bit." He didn't even wait for an answer as he left. He rushed to Ninja Opts, bringing his morpher to his mouth.   
  
"What's going on?" He asked.  
  
"Zurgane, he's following Blake and Tori, don't like the looks of it." Cam replied. Hunter groaned. Dustin was probably working at the moment, so that only left Shane.  
  
)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))((((((((((((((((((((((((((  
  
Tori and Blake raced against each other up a cliff, laughing careless and freely. Tori was winning. She currently had lost sight of her boyfriend. Suddenly, something hit Tori's bike, sending it out of control.   
  
"Huh!" Tori exclaimed as she tried to regain control. The bike stopped and she flew over the handlebars, falling over the cliff. Blake soon caught up. He froze as he saw Tori's bike. He quickly stopped his and jumped off.   
  
"Tori?" He called.  
  
"Blake!" Tori screamed from the side of the side of the cliff. Blake's eyes widened and he rushed over.  
  
))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))(((((((((((((((((((((((((((( ((((((((((((((  
  
Joey and Shane were talking quietly when Shane's cell phone started playing a song to the tune of 'Yankee Doodle.' It took everything Joey could muster to try not to laugh. Shane looked at her.  
  
"I swear I didn't put it on there!" Shane remarked. Joey burst out laughing. Sighing Shane answered his phone.  
  
"Yo?" He asked into the phone, he waited for a reply on the other line.  
  
"Shane. It's Hunter. We've got issues. Seems the metal headed lapdog decided to attack Tori and Blake today." Hunter told him. Shane's eyes widened. He told Hunter to wait a minute, then pressed the cell against his chest and stood.  
  
"Joey I've got to leave." He told her gently. Joey looked at him.  
  
"Is everything all right?" Joey asked.   
  
"Uh yeah...It's just...My parents...They have to go out and the sitter cancelled at the last minute. They need me to watch over my baby sister." He said. Joey nodded.  
  
"All right, well, I'll see you around, I guess." She said. Shane nodded and quickly left. Joey raised an eyebrow and shook her head.  
  
"And I though I was weird." Joey muttered to herself. In the midst of a though, a loud and shrill beep cam from her communicator. Joey pressed a button and whispered into it.  
  
"Joey here." She replied to the beep. She heard static then Summer also reply. Then Larissa's voice came over the communicator.  
  
"Guys, we've got problems at the cliffs. Seems a civilian is dangeling over the cliff, and her friend is attempting to get her back up. But that's not the main problem. Seems Zurgane put the girl there. We need to get them up pronto." Larissa commanded. Joey nodded.  
  
"I can get there pretty fast, I'm rather close to the cliffs." Joey told them both. Summer was first to respond.  
  
"Better you than me, I'm pretty far out. I'll be there as soon as I can. can you guys cover till I get there?" She asked. Joey and Larissa nodded.  
  
"Well see you there Summer." Larissa replied. All three nodded.  
  
"Pink Out." Summer said before spinning her car around and into drive.  
  
"Black Out." Joey replied as she picked herself up and ran towards the cliff.  
  
"Orange Out." Larissa commented before streaking out of the house, towards the cliffs.  
  
)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))((((((((((((((((((((((( (((((((((((((((((((((  
  
"Tori hold on!" Blake said as he tried pulling her up the side of the cliff. Zurgane laughed lowly as he slowly approached Blake. Tori saw Zurgane.   
  
"Blake, watch out!" Tori screamed.   
  
"Huh?" Blake said. He turned his head to see Zurgane raising his sword. Suddenly, something blasted at him. Zurgane staggered backwards. Blake looked over and saw the black ranger standing there.  
  
"What is it with alien freaks picking on defenseless innocent people?" The black ranger asked. Zurgane glared at her.  
  
"I'm going to make you regret doing that." Zurgane growled. The black ranger stood in a fighting stance.  
  
"Bring it on." She said.   
  
"With pleasure! Yah!" Zurgane yelled as he charged at her. The black ranger pulled out her sword and the two fought. She looked over at Blake.  
  
"You and your friend get out of here. I'll distract metal head here." She ordered. Blake nodded, pretending to be just some random kid, instead of the ranger he himself was. Joey fought Zurgane. Her anger at this creature for the part he played in the abduction of her and Larissa's mothers and the other girls from the academy, and the anger she had for Zurgane attacking Summer in Storm Chargers was like fuel in her fire. Zurgane growled as Joey knocked him down.  
  
"Give up?" She asked.   
  
"Well, while you're at it, tell your boss that-Ahh..." Joey whimpered as she fell to her knees. She felt dizzy, and as if she was just about to combust any second.   
  
"No....No please...not now..." Joey muttered to herself. Zurgane saw the ranger fall and saw it as his opportunity to attack. He got up and went at her.  
  
"What's...going on?" Tori asked as Blake was trying to pull her back up. Blake glanced over to see Zurgane attacking the ranger.   
  
"She's getting pummeled." Blake muttered, surprised. Tori looked at him.  
  
"Help her." She said. Blake looked at her.   
  
"I'm not about to leave you hanging off the side of a cliff. Come on." Blake grunted as he kept trying to pull her up, while maintaining his own balance. Zurgane grabbed Joey's shoulders and pulled her up to her feet.   
  
"You want to help these people so much, then perhaps you should die with them." Zurgane growled. He lifted her up.  
  
"No, put me down!" Joey yelled. Zurgane tossed her towards Blake. Blake looked up just as the black ranger collided against him, knocking off his balance. Blake yelled as himself, Tori and the ranger fell off the cliff. He held onto Tori's hand. The jagged rocks at the bottom of the cliff were coming closer and closer. Suddenly, 2 forms in red came soaring towards them. Blake realized it was Hunter in the glider bike and Shane in battelizer form. Hunter reached Blake and Tori and grabbed Blake's other hand.   
  
"Need a lift?" Hunter asked. Blake laughed a little bit. He pulled Tori up so she wasn't hanging below them. Tori put her arms around Blake's shoulders and he let go of her hand and put his arm around her waist, holding her to him tightly. Shane soared to the black ranger. He grabbed onto her. She put her arms around his neck and he held her under her legs and back. She looked at him.   
  
"How come I never got the memo that rangers can fly?" She joked.  
  
"Only the special rangers can." Shane replied with a laugh.   
  
"As in Special Ed?" The ranger replied. Hunter and Shane came to the bottom of the cliff. They set their "passengers" down.   
  
"I'm going to go after our iron buddy." Hunter said to Shane. And with that he soared back up the cliff. Shane looked at Blake and Tori.  
  
"You folks all right?" He asked. They nodded.   
  
"Good, I suggest you get out of here, stay out of danger, you know." He said. He cocked his head to the side a bit to them, as if to wink. Blake and Tori nodded. They left. Shane turned back to the black ranger.   
  
"Are you all right?" He asked. She nodded.  
  
"No big, just got a little dizzy. I could've taken that freak."  
  
"Before or after you plummeted to a jagged end?" Shane asked. Then, two more forms appeared. It was the pink and orange rangers. They went up to the black ranger.  
  
"We saw you fall, are you all right?" The Pink ranger asked. The black ranger nodded.  
  
"A-OK, thanks to the soaring red guy here." She said. The Pink and Orange rangers nodded.  
  
"Well at least your safe." The Orange one commented. Shane looked at all of them.  
  
"We gonna get metal head up there? Or are we going to sit here all day and yak?" He asked seriously. The three female rangers looked at each other, then him.  
  
"Lets go." The Pink ranger commented. The four of them streaked up onto the top of the cliff. They saw the crimson ranger standing there alone.   
  
"Where's Zurgane?" The Black Ranger asked. Hunter turned and looked at them.  
  
"Dunno, he was gone when I got back here."   
  
"What, he didn't want to stick around to see if those two people and I were dead? I'm just a tad bit offended." The Black Ranger said.   
  
"What is it with him suddenly attacking innocents?" The Pink ranger asked. Shane and Hunter looked at her.  
  
"What makes you think he's done it before?" Shane asked.  
  
"That girl in the sports store." The Orange Ranger said.   
  
"And that girl in the woods."  
  
"How did you-"  
  
"We've got eyes and ears all over this town." The Black Ranger said. Hunter and Shane looked at them, and then nodded.  
  
"Works for me." They commented. Streaks of yellow, green, navy and blue bounced onto the ground. Shane and Hunter ran over to Blake and Tori.  
  
"You two ok?" Shane asked. The both nodded.  
  
"Great." Tori commented.  
  
"Perfectly fine." Blake remarked. The new rangers looked at each and back at the group.  
  
"Well, we should jet." The Pink one commented. They turned to leave but were thrown to the ground. The other rangers behind them were also tossed like rag dolls to the ground.  
  
"What the hell's going on?!" The Black Ranger cursed. An evil chuckle came from behind the trees. There stood Zurgane.  
  
"I knew I just had to wait, and soon you'd all be here." Zurgane said lowly. Larissa looked at him. Zurgane. Anger boiled inside her. He was the one who took her mother. Larissa went to get up. Joey, who seemed to anticipating this, put a hand on her arm to stop her. Larissa looked at her sharply. Joey looked at her and shook her head slightly.  
  
"He's mine." Joey growled. Summer put her hand on Joey's arm before she got up. "How bout we all get him? I've got a bone to pick with metal mouth over there." Summer growled out. Larissa and Joey nodded and the three girls stood in front of the other rangers and charged at Zurgane. Kalzacks appeared in front of Zurgane.  
  
"You don't think I came alone, did you?" Zurgane asked.  
  
"Well, we kind of thought so, you know, since you are stupid and all." Joey replied. The other rangers stood up.  
  
"How about we go down there, where's there more room." Hunter said.  
  
"Sounds good." Larissa said. The nine rangers streaked down to the bottom of the cliff. The Kalzacks followed. Summer bounced from her feet, onto her hands then flipped herself over and kicked a Kalzack in the face sending it sprawling into another.  
  
"I'm getting just a little more than tired of dealing with these freaks!" She yelled loudly. Hunter and Dustin worked around her. At one point the three of them managed to destroy most of the Kalzacks that had been around them. Larissa, Cam and Tori were having problems of their own. They had also managed to destroy a lot of the monsters around them, but Zurgane kept making them appear. Shane, Joey and Blake were in the same boat as everyone else.  
  
"Get away from me!" Joey grunted loudly kicking a few Kalzacks in Shane's direction. They were all finally able to defeat the Kalzacks, and stood in a group together.  
  
"That all you got?" Summer asked.  
  
"Not at all." Zurgane replied. He stepped back and pulled something from his back. It was a medium sized device that was in a cylinder looking shape.  
  
"What's that?" Tori wondered quietly.  
  
"No idea." Cam replied. Zurgane set the device on the ground and touched the side, flipping a switch. The rangers stepped back as a vortex suddenly appeared.  
  
"That can't be good." Joey said softly. She stepped back, going to stand with Larissa and Summer.   
  
"Right you are, ranger." Zurgane said.   
  
"Lothor has tired of your meddling, so it's time to send you were you will never bother us again!" He growled. The wind around them rustled. The vortex was trying to pull them in.   
  
"Let's get out of here!" Blake yelled, but the pull of the vortex was too strong.  
  
"Good idea, now, how shall we manage that, Navy boy?" Joey snapped at him. The pull got stronger. They all struggled to remain where they were. They latched onto trees and each other. They were barely hanging on.   
  
"Help! I can't hold on!" Larissa screamed as she began loosing her grip on the tree. Summer and Joey gasped.   
  
"Hang on!" Summer screamed as she reached to grab onto Larissa's hand. They both got pulled into the vortex.  
  
"NOOO!" Came Joey's shrill scream as they disappeared. Blake, Tori and Hunter held onto a tree for dear life. Tori lost her grip and began to get sucked in. Blake grabbed her arm.   
  
"Ah! Guys!" Dustin yelled as he and Cam let go and were sucked in.   
  
"Where are they?!" Joey yelled, worried about her friends.   
  
"I don't kno-Whoa!" Hunter lost his grip and was soon sucked in as well.   
  
"Bro!" Blake yelled. The momentary distraction caused him to loose his own grip, which resulted in him and Tori getting sucked in. Joey was barely holding onto the tree with her fingertips.   
  
"I'm slipping!" She screamed. Shane tried to reach her. Joey extended her hand to try to reach him, but the pull was too much for them. They both got sucked in. Zurgane laughed evilly as he shut the machine off.  
  
"Oh Lothor will be quite happy with this." Zurgane mused as he disappeared off to the space base.  
  
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Summer lay wincing in pain, her eyes closed. She gently pushed herself into sitting position and held her head.  
  
"Oh, my head." She groaned out. Rubbing her eyes, she looked around her. She pushed herself into a standing position, only to tumble into a rock. Pushing herself up again, she took in her surroundings.  
  
"Well Dorothy. I don't think were in Kansas anymore." She commented out loud. 


	17. Secrets and Revelations

Joey groaned and sat up. She pushed her hair out of her face and stood up.  
  
"What the hell happened?" She wondered.  
  
"Joey." Came a voice. Joey spun around to see Larissa coming out of some bushes. Relief filled Joey and she ran over and threw her arms around Larissa. Larissa hugged her back.  
  
"Oh man, I thought you were....Well, I don't know, but still." Joey said. Larissa nodded.  
  
"Yeah." She said.  
  
"Where's Sum?" Joey asked.  
  
"I don't know. Somewhere here, I would imagine." Larissa said.  
  
"We need to find her..." Joey commented. Larissa nodded.  
  
"We have no idea where to start though... I already tried contacting her on our communicator's...no luck..." Larissa replied. Joey cursed under her breath.  
  
"Did you get anything?!" Joey questioned. Larissa nodded.  
  
"Yeah, static." The Hawaiian girl replied. Joey just made a face at her.  
  
"Well, guess we better get walking if were going to find Summer." She said. Larissa nodded and they set out.  
  
()))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))(((((((((((((((((((((((((()))))))))) )))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) "Guys?!" Tori yelled. She was on the island, and didn't see anyone. "Blake?! Hunter?! Shane?! Dustin?! Cam?! Anyone?!" She called out again. All she was met with was the sound of wind passing through the trees. "Great." She muttered. She stopped as she heard footsteps behind her, coming from the bushes. She spun around and got ready to fight, thinking it might be Zurgane, or Kelzacks. Two figures emerged from the bushes. Blake and Hunter stepped back when they saw Tori. "Whoa, whoa, it's us." Hunter said quickly. Tori blinked and sighed, standing up straight. "You OK?" Blake asked. Tori nodded and went over to him. They embraced one another.  
  
"Any idea where the others might be?" Tori asked. They shook their heads.  
  
"I was searching around when I came across Hunter." Blake said.  
  
"We better look for them." Hunter said.  
  
"Yeah." Blake said. The three of them started to walk. "Man, this is some serious deja-vu. Another island? How repetitive."  
  
"Lothor's evil, and apparently that doesn't include being creative." Tori said.  
  
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Dustin rolled onto his stomach and stood stretching.  
  
"That would have been a good nap, if I wouldn't have fallen like god knows how far." He muttered loudly.  
  
"Dude... Not so loud." Came another voice, startling Dustin. From around a rock came Shane.  
  
"Shane man? What's going on?" Dustin asked. Shane shrugged.  
  
"Your guess is as good as mine." Shane replied. Another voice then scared the crap out of the both of them.  
  
"Looks like were on some sort of island." The Green Samurai Ranger spoke. Dustin and Shane both rolled their eyes.  
  
"This is getting really old." Dustin commented. "I mean, we get on a island, fight for a bit, then Cam-" Dustin paused. "Would save our behinds...But he's here...Forget that thought."  
  
"How about we try finding the others before Dustin has a stroke from thinking to much." Shane said. Dustin gave him a dirty look.  
  
"Not funny dude....so not funny" The yellow wind ranger commented as they set off to find the others.  
  
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"Do you have any idea where we might be? Or where Summer is?" Joey asked as she and Larissa walked along the island, trying to find Summer.  
  
"If I had known we were going to get transported to a freaky island, I would've brought my G.P.S." Larissa muttered sarcastically. Joey sighed. They came to a sort of river. On the other side was some more land. Joey squinted against the bright sun, seeing a figure standing across them with their back turned. She saw blonde hair. Joey smiled.  
  
"There she is!" Joey yelled. Larissa caught up to her and saw Summer standing there.  
  
"Oh, she's all right, thank god." Larissa sighed. She cupped her hands by her mouth. "Summer!" She yelled. Summer didn't seem to hear her. Larissa yelled again. Joey tried yelling as well, no response.  
  
"My god, is she deaf?" Joey sighed.  
  
Summer stood, looking around. There was no sign giving her a clue as to where she, or Larissa or Joey were. Summer sighed and turned around, looking across the river. She did a double take as she saw Joey and Larissa standing there.  
  
"Guys!" She yelled. Joey and Larissa waved their arms up at her. They were saying something, but she couldn't hear them. "I can't hear you." Summer said. They both looked at her and she could see their lips saying 'what?'..Apparently they couldn't hear her either. Summer sighed and took a deep breath. "Wait there!" She yelled, making sure she mouthed each word so they could see what she had said. They nodded.  
  
Summer looked around, trying to see if there was anything she could use to get across the river. She really didn't feel like getting her clothes wet by swimming. Some movement in the water caught Summer's eye. She spun around and looked at the river. Something that looked like a large tail went under. "Loch ness monster? So, what, we're in Scotland?" Summer wondered. She curiously walked closer to the water. Suddenly, a large thick tentacle emerged from the water and wrapped around her legs. Summer screamed as she was pulled into the water.  
  
"Oh my god!" Larissa screamed. "What...What was that?!" Joey stepped back, gently pushing Larissa behind her.  
  
"I don't know." Joey said. The adrenaline from fear of the life of one of her best friends took over. She rushed to the water and dove in.  
  
"Joey!" Larissa screamed.  
  
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Cam, Shane and Dustin wandered along the beach. Cam kept looking around as if to find some sort of clue as to where they might be. Cam began pressing buttons on his communicator attempting to reach the other rangers.  
  
"Nothing's working." The green samurai ranger sighed. Dustin and Shane chuckled.  
  
"It is the same as last time." A voice came from around a bend. From the shadows of the rocks came Hunter, Blake and Tori.  
  
"There you are!" Dustin said as they approached one another. Blake nodded.  
  
"Hunter found me, and then we found Tori." He said softly. The others smiled.  
  
"Dustin and Shane found each other, then I found them." Cam told the others.  
  
"So, any sign of our newest ranger buddies?" Hunter asked.  
  
"I'd imagine that if we're not morphed, neither are they." Cam replied. "So.."  
  
"So the endless wonder of who they are is over..Once we find them." Shane said.  
  
"Well, considering the baddie's motive, chances are if we see any human here who isn't one of us, chances are they're one of the rangers." Blake said.  
  
"Have you tried contacting your dad?" Tori asked Cam. Cam nodded.  
  
"But, nothing seems to be working." Cam replied.  
  
"Yeah, we tried morphing, and contacting you guys, nothing. Thought maybe you'd have more luck." Hunter said.  
  
"So, now what?" Dustin said. As if on cue, screams were heard throughout the area. The six rangers looked at each other, then quickly took off towards the sound.  
  
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"Let go of me you disgusting thing!" Larissa yelled as the monster had its tentacle wrapped around her legs. Joey had gone in to save Summer. The two had hit the monster while trying to get back to the surface when it bit Summer's shoulder and Joey's hip. They were now trying to get it away from Larissa the best they could.  
  
"Leave her alone!" Summer yelled. Another one of the tentacles swooped back, hitting Summer and knocking her back. Summer landed painfully.  
  
"Son of a bitch." She moaned pushing herself onto her feet. She grabbed a branch and charged at the monster. She jumped and plunged the branch into the monster's tentacle. The monster let out a blood-curdling shriek and released Larissa. It disappeared in the water. Summer, Joey and Larissa were all panting. Summer saw the blood coming from Joey's wound, as did Joey for Summer's wound.  
  
"You OK?" Joey asked. Summer nodded. She went over to her and the two helped each other out of the water.  
  
"You?" Summer asked.  
  
"Yeah, just a flesh wound...ah." Joey winced as she fell to her knees.  
  
"That bad?" Summer asked, kneeling beside her.  
  
"No...Not that...." Joey groaned. Larissa rushed over and kneeled by her as well.  
  
"Now?" Larissa asked.  
  
"It started....Before..when....ah....I was helping Blake and Tori...But I tried to....ignore it." Joey said.  
  
"So how are we going to do this? It's not like we can put her back into the water." Summer stated. Larissa nodded.  
  
"I have no idea as to what were gonna do." She replied. Summer looked around and spotted some trees, giving some shade.  
  
"Got it." She said. "Rissa, help me get Joey underneath those trees, and then we can get water to cool her down." Summer told her. Larissa nodded and they both carried Joey over to the trees. Gently setting her down Summer looked around for something to carry water in.  
  
"And there's nothing." She sighed. Suddenly there were approaching footsteps. Summer stood in front of Larissa and Joey. She went over and grabbed the branch she had used on the monster and held it up, just in case it was Kelzacks, or Zurgane. She crept close and flattened her back against a tree. Larissa held Joey protectively. A lone figure appeared. Summer grunted as she brought the branch down, hitting the person's back. He groaned and fell.  
  
"Dustin!" Came a voice. Summer blinked and looked over to see Tori, Blake, Hunter, Shane, and Cam. She looked down to see the person she had just hit. It was Dustin.  
  
"Summer?" Hunter sputtered. "What.What are you doing here?" He asked. He saw her bleeding arm. "What happened to you?" Shane looked over and saw Joey looking pale and sweaty, and also bleeding. He pushed through the others and went to her side. He pulled off his over shirt and held it against her bleeding hip.  
  
"Joey, are you OK?" He asked softly.  
  
"Will someone please tell me what's going on here, and why did Summer feel the need to hit me?" Dustin asked, getting to his feet.  
  
"I'm sorry, I thought..."  
  
"It doesn't matter what she thought. What are you guys doing here?" Larissa asked. There hadn't been any civilians by the cliff when the vortex appeared, had there?  
  
"Uh..Dunno..." Dustin lied. Summer, Joey and Larissa looked at him skeptically.  
  
"Yeah right...and I'm the Queen of Australia." Larissa commented sarcastically. Dustin bowed.  
  
"Your majesty." Summer bopped him on the head with the branch.  
  
"Tell us the truth." She told him. Dustin looked at his friends and back at the three girls.  
  
"Only if you tell us." Dustin replied.  
  
"We're power rangers, there." Joey grunted through her pain. Larissa and Summer looked at her in shock. Summer forced a laugh.  
  
"Power Rangers..Us...Yeah right..I think Joey's a little delusional." Summer said.  
  
"No, just not in the mood for....aw fuck....bullshit..." Joey replied. Dustin, Cam, Blake and Tori, who didn't know about Joey's illness, stared at her.  
  
"What happened to you?" Tori asked.  
  
"She gets really bad fevers sometimes." Hunter answered for Summer and Larissa. Shane nodded.  
  
"Yeah, so unless one of you can pull something to carry water over to her out of your ass, I suggest you leave us alone." Larissa snapped. Summer turned around and looked at Larissa.  
  
"Larissa!" She hissed quietly. Larissa looked at her.  
  
"Yes?" She responded, using the same tone. Summer bit her tongue to keep from saying something she'd regret.  
  
"Anyone got something to carry water in?" Summer queered. Shane looked at Tori. Tori caught the look.  
  
"What?" She asked.  
  
"Tori, please." He pleaded. Tori sighed.  
  
"All right." She said. She looked at Summer and Larissa. "You two should move out of the way."  
  
"What?" Larissa asked.  
  
"Just do it." Shane said. He got up and pulled Larissa aside with him. Tori looked at the river and concentrated deeply. Summer stood by, confused. Suddenly a large wave came towards them. Summer ducked out of the way quickly. The wave hit Joey completely. Joey gasped and sputtered as the water covered her. The wave fell back. Joey coughed a few times. Summer, Larissa and Joey stared at her in shock. Summer was the first to regain use of her voice.  
  
"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!?" She screeched loudly. Everyone plugged his or her ears.  
  
"If you say that your power rangers... I guess were safe to say that we are too." Tori told them. Summer looked at Hunter.  
  
"Ok, either this is one fucking strange dream....or my boyfriend and his friends, are the Power Rangers." She told herself quietly. She looked at Larissa, who looked back at her. Summer went over to Joey. "Are you OK?" She asked. Joey nodded, pinching her nose a bit to get the water out. Summer helped her to her feet. Joey looked at them all.  
  
"So...Who's who?" She asked.  
  
"Green Samurai Ranger." Cam said.  
  
"Thunder Rangers." Blake and Hunter added.  
  
"Wind Rangers." Shane, Dustin and Tori said. Summer's eyes widened. She handed Joey to Larissa, and then spoke.  
  
"I knew that I had some sort of connection to you two," Summer said pointing at Hunter and Blake. "But I never would have guessed it would be this."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Hunter asked.  
  
"Pink Thunder Ranger." Summer replied. They both stared at her.  
  
"How did you get the power? I mean-" Blake began.  
  
"Girls weren't allowed in The Thunder Academy." Summer completed for him. "You'd be surprised how a pre-pubescent girl can pass as a boy by just covering her face, not talking and cutting her hair." Hunter blinked.  
  
"You...You were the student who never showed his...er...her...face?" He asked.  
  
"That would be me. But, thanks to some twelve year old asshole punching me in the nose and making me bleed, the Sensei found out my little secret." Summer said. Hunter looked down.  
  
"Uh.....oh....um....sorry about that..." Hunter said sheepishly. Summer's eyes widened again.  
  
"That.....was you!??!!?" She snapped. Hunter looked up and saw that she was a very angry girl right now. Hunter nodded, making Summer even angrier.  
  
"I don't need this right now." She growled. She turned on her heal and stalked away. Hunter sighed. Dustin looked at Larissa and Joey.  
  
"So, who's who?"  
  
"Lightening Ranger." Larissa said.  
  
"Fire Ranger." Joey said. Shane walked up to her.  
  
"So, you're the one who's been calling me 'Big Red'?" He smirked. Joey's eyebrows shot up.  
  
"You...You're...The red ranger? I think I'm going to go find Summer." Joey said, walking away. Shane grabbed her arm.  
  
"You aren't going anywhere." He said. "Not while you're like this." Joey looked at him.  
  
"I'm perfectly fine." She growled. Shane laughed.  
  
"Yeah...sure." He told her pushing her gently onto the ground. "You're not going anywhere." He said. Joey sighed and gave up.  
  
"Fine." Joey said. Larissa was staring at everyone.  
  
"I really can't believe you guys are.." She said. Cam stared at her.  
  
"Ditto." He breathed out. While everyone was busy being distracted, Hunter took that chance to sneak away in hopes of finding Summer.  
  
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Summer stood overlooking a small river of water, a good 5 miles from where they had seen everyone. Sitting herself down gently. She ripped a bit of her shirt off and soaked it with water, then gently dabbed the water on the bite that she had received. She hissed loudly in pain, and tried to keep her tears from falling.  
  
"Son of a bitch." She muttered.  
  
"Are you OK?" Came a voice. She looked up to see Hunter walk over to her and sit down next to her.  
  
"What do you want?" She said harshly.  
  
"Summer, you can't tell me you're mad at me for something I did nearly six years ago....While I didn't know it was you when I did it.." Hunter said.  
  
"All I know is I was getting pretty good training there. I felt connected with the Thunder Academy. When Sensei Oramo found out about me, he sent me to the Lightening Fire Academy. The training there was all right, but I knew I wasn't a Lightening or Fire Ninja. I was born a Thunder Ninja and because of you I was sent away from that place." Summer said. She turned her entire body away from Hunter and stared into the water. Hunter was thunderstruck.  
  
"Summer..." He began. He ran his hands over his face and sighed. "Had I known.... I never would have done it....I don't-"  
  
"Hit girls....I know." She sighed. She swiped at her tears. She sighed again. She turned back to him seeing his face twisted into a distressed expression. "I'm sorry." She said softly. "You're right, there was no way you could've known and I guess I might have provoked you into hitting me back then anyway."  
  
"No..No it wasn't your fault. It was me and my stupid pride. I'm so sorry, I-"  
  
"Hunter, it's OK." Summer said softly. "It's the past. This is the present. I love you." She said. Hunter smiled, relived.  
  
"I love you." He replied. He hugged her gently. He moved her shirt a little to look at the bite. Summer hissed in pain, causing more tears to fall. Hunter smiled and kissed her gently.  
  
"I guess that hurt huh?" He asked gently. Summer nodded. He gently removed the piece of cloth she had torn from her shirt and collected more water in it, and set it on her shoulder. She cried out in pain. Hunter hugged her tightly.  
  
"Just ignore the pain honey....It'll be gone in a bit." Hunter gently turned Summer around she her back was pressed against his stomach, and they were both facing the water. She leaned her head into the crook of his neck and sniffled, trying to get her tears to subside. Hunter kissed her forehead gently and rubbed her arms. Hunter looked at her. "As much as it surprised the hell out of me, I'm glad you're a ranger." He said.  
  
"Why's that?" She asked.  
  
"Because I hated lying to you about leaving and everything. I didn't like keeping secrets from you." He replied. Summer tilted her head and looked up at him.  
  
"I hated lying to you too." She whispered. Hunter lowered his head and captured her lips in a slow passionate kiss. Summer returned the kiss with full and equal passion. The broke away softly, the love struck look still caught in their eyes. Smiling, the both cuddled up together and continued to watch the water.  
  
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Zurgane re-appeared on the space ship and strutted around like he owned the place, looking for Lothor. Instead, he found Vexacus. They looked at each other.  
  
"What do you want?" Vexacus snarled. If he could, Zurgane would have glared at him.  
  
"I'm looking for Lothor." He growled back.  
  
"What is it, Zurgane?" Lothor asked as he appeared with Marah and Kapri trailing behind him. Zurgane approached the evil monarch.  
  
"Sir." Zurgane said with a bow. "I have sent the annoying rangers to a alternate island. They cannot morph or contact their Sensei. They are completely helpless." Lothor listened to his lackey speak, a slow smile spreading on his face.  
  
"Wonderful." He said. He threw his arm around Zurgane's shoulders and led him off to the bridge. "Come, let us discuss the rest of your plan. Did I ever tell you that you are my favorite general?" Vexacus growled lowly and took off the opposite direction. Marah looked down. Dustin was in trouble.  
  
"Wow, someone's jealous." Kapri remarked, looking at Vexacus's retreating form. Marah smiled a fake smile and nodded.  
  
"Yeah, he's gonna be right pissed off." Marah replied emotionless. Kapri looked at her.  
  
"What's your problem?" She asked her sister. Marah glared at Kapri.  
  
"Why do you always assume there's something wrong with me!?" Marah snapped. Kapri backed away holding her hands up.  
  
"Geez sis, calm down. I was just asking!" Kapri said defensively. Marah glared harder.  
  
"IF I wanted you to know, I'd tell you! But since I don't, stay the fuck outta my life!" Marah screamed. Kapri glared at her. She stretched her hand out and sent a ball of energy at Marah. Marah shrieked as she fell back. Kapri went up to Marah.  
  
"Don't ever take that tone with me, bitch." Kapri said lowly. "Just remember, I'm the one with the brains here, so don't even think about getting a hissy fit with me, got it?" Marah glared at her. Kapri frowned and lifted her foot. She pressed it against Marah's throat. "I said, got it?" Marah coughed and wheezed as she tried to push Kapri off.  
  
"Yes...Yes I got it.." Marah finally said, giving in. Kapri lifted her foot.  
  
"Good." Kapri said as she sauntered off to the bridge. Marah sat up, glaring at her back, rubbing her sore neck.  
  
"Stupid bitch..." Marah muttered pushing herself into a standing position. "I'll teach her to mess with me." Marah growled stalking towards her room. "This ends now...." 


	18. Falling

After sitting there for a while, Summer and Hunter stood up and rejoined their friends. "It's getting dark." Cam commented.   
  
"We should try finding some where to settle down for the night or something." "I think I saw a cave somewhere before when I was looking for everyone." Hunter said. Summer looked at him.  
  
"Do you remember where abouts it was?" She asked. Hunter nodded. Summer smiled.  
  
"Ok, Hunter and I will go find the cave, were gonna take Joey and Shane with us, because Joey needs to rest, then someone will be back to get you guys ok?" Summer said. Everyone nodded.  
  
"OK, let's go." Shane said as he went to pick Joey up. She went to her feet on her own. "I'm not crippled." She said. She went to walk then felt the pain from the bite the monster giving. She cried out in pain slightly. Shane looked at her. Joey narrowed her eyes.   
  
"Shut up and help me walk." She muttered. Shane rolled his eyes and Hunter helped him get Joey onto his back. Summer was chuckling over by the tree. Joey glared at her and Summer snickered harder. Once Shane and Joey were ready to go Summer and Hunter set off hand in hand in front of Joey and Shane. The others stayed behind as Summer had said. Tori and Blake stood together holding hands. Dustin was leaning against a tree. He was thinking about Marah. Did Marah know about Zurgane's device? Was their earlier encounter just another lie? He sighed. Cam looked over at Larissa who was sitting by herself. He walked over to her and sat down. "Hey, you OK?" He asked. Larissa looked at him and nodded slowly. "Yeah, just...stunned, shocked, surprised, you know, nothing major." Larissa replied. Cam hugged her gently. Larissa returned the hug.  
  
"At least we get to spend more time together now." Larissa joked. Cam smiled.  
  
"That'll be nice." He commented.  
  
"Yeah, you're right." She said softly. She wasn't sure if it was their current close proximity, or the events of the day, but she suddenly got very brave. She slowly got closer and shyly kissed him. Cam was shocked at first, but soon recovered and responded to the kiss slowly. He held her closer. Tori, Blake and Dustin watched the two basically making out, slightly shocked.   
  
"When did they get together?" Blake asked Tori lowly. Tori shrugged. "Don't know, but it's about time." Tori smiled.  
  
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Summer and Hunter had managed to get Shane and Joey to the cave unharmed and had started walking back. They were walking through a rather wooded area, full of steep cliffs, and hills, and there lots of fallen trees. Hunter plopped himself down on a fallen tree trunk and sighed softly. Summer came to a stop beside him. But continued to stand.  
  
"God, my backs killing me." She groaned out. Hunter watched as she put her hands behind her back and leaned over backwards, cracking her back. Hunter gently pulled her to sit next to him. He gently massaged her back.  
  
"Better?" He asked, kissing the side of her neck. Summer shivered at his touch, and moaned softly as he moved his lips along her neck ever so gently.  
  
"Much better." She whispered out softly. Hunter moved his arms to the front of her body and wrapped them around her stomach and pulled her closer. Summer sighed softly.  
  
"Hunter, as tempted as I am to rip off your clothes, throw you against a tree and do very naughty things, we have to go back to the others." Summer said. Hunter groaned.  
  
"OK, now that you've planted that idea in my head, I don't think I will be able to let you go." Hunter said. Summer giggled and pried his arms away from her stomach and stood up. She held her hand out to him and he graciously took it. They carefully set off down the steep hill.  
  
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Shane and Joey sat in the cave together.  
  
"So, are you OK?" He asked. Joey sighed.  
  
"Yes, I'm fine. Just like I've been the other 15 times you asked." She said, sounding annoyed. Shane sighed.  
  
"Ok, ok I'm just asking Joey." He said. Joey ran her hands over her face. She sighed.  
  
"Sorry... I guess it's just been a really weird day... I mean first, we get sucked onto an island, Summer, Larissa and I get attacked by the fucking Loch Ness Monster, then we find out that you guys are Power Rangers... next thing you know, were gonna be attacked by a Lothor monster!" Joey finished angrily.  
  
"Please don't say that, next thing you know, one of them will show up. They tend to do that." Shane said.  
  
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Cam and Larissa broke away, gasping for breath.  
  
"Wow..." Cam murmured. Larissa blushed. She nodded.  
  
"I second that." She said. They went in again for round two, when a cleared throat was heard. Cam and Larissa looked over and saw Dustin, Tori and Blake standing their arms crossed.  
  
"Care to explain?" They asked. Larissa and Cam blushed furiously.  
  
"Uh...Well...We...........Uh.........." Cam stammered. "Like each other?" Tori asked with a smirk. "Yes, exactly...And we..." "Are getting together?" Blake asked.   
  
"Yes." Cam said. He looked at Larissa. "At least...I hope so..." He said softly. Larissa smiled. "We are." She said. Dustin and Blake clapped Cam and on the back, where as Tori hugged Larissa.  
  
"Congratulations Larissa... Cam's the nicest guy." Tori told her.  
  
"What's going on?" Summer asked as she emerged from the woods. Tori turned and looked at her. "Larissa and Cam are together." Tori said. "Oh. It's about time." Summer said.   
  
"Anyway, Joe and Shane are at the cave. I say we get back before she tries to kill him." Summer smirked. The others chuckled.  
  
"Ok lets go then." They said walking in the direction Summer and Hunter had come. They all got to the cave. Cam and Larissa where almost attached at the hip. Blake and Tori and Hunter and Summer smiled at the newly formed couple. Dustin felt like he was going to gag. Shockingly, no blood from Joey or Shane had been shed, and both had all limbs still attached. "So, the gangs all here." Joey said.  
  
"Right, well, we should probably gather some wood to start a fire." Shane said.   
  
"So, ladies, you stay here and us manly men shall return shortly." Shane said, puffing out his chest ignorantly. "Someone give me something to throw at him." Joey said.  
  
"I think what Shane is trying to say, without much luck, is that we all have been through a lot, so how about you ladies just rest for now and we'll do the grunt work." Hunter said. Summer smiled and kissed his cheek. "I love this man." She said. Hunter chuckled a bit. "And I love this woman." Hunter said, kissing her.   
  
"OK, forget Shane, give me something to throw at them." Joey said. Summer and Hunter separated and gave Joey a dirty look.  
  
"Anyway, let's go." Hunter said. He, Shane and Dustin walked out. Blake went to leave but Tori held his hand. She looked at him. "We don't know what's out there, so, be careful, OK?" She asked. Blake smiled and nodded, kissing her forehead.  
  
"Don't worry about me. I'll be back." He said. He left. Cam was still in the cave with Larissa. The two were holding hands and staring at each other. Dustin came back into the cave and grabbed Cam's arm. "C'mon lover boy." He said, yanking him out.  
  
"Oh hey, Joey, Cam and Larissa are together." Summer said. Joey looked at her. "Yeah, I know." Joey said. Summer's jaw dropped. She looked at Larissa. "You told the man-hating cynical girl about you and Cam before me? I'm so hurt." She said. "I didn't tell her...per say..." Larissa said carefully.  
  
"She twisted her ankle and Samurai nearly carried her home. Plus, the million watt smile gave her away." Joey smirked. "I think it's really great. Cam's an amazing guy." Tori said.   
  
"And I knew he liked you." "Oh, well, yeah, who didn't?" Summer asked. Larissa blushed and the other girls laughed.  
  
"Your all crazy." Larissa muttered, causing the girls to laugh harder.  
  
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Hunter jabbed Cam in the sides and clapped him on the back.  
  
"Well congrats dude! You landed yourself a women." Hunter said. Cam blushed and chuckled.  
  
"Well I guess I did." He said truthfully.  
  
"So, how did it happen?" Blake asked, clapping Cam on the other shoulder. "Well, I saw her in the computer store and I guess I surprised her cause she fell and hurt her ankle. Anyway, afterwards we were just sitting outside and I kind of blurted out I liked her. And I guess she was shocked because she was quiet for a while. I thought she was shooting me down. But then she said she liked me. And then I took her home. And....Well, what you all saw was our first kiss." Cam concluded with a slight blush. Hunter and Blake smiled at him. Dustin groaned and looked at them.  
  
"Oh god, you three sound like a bunch of chicks gossiping. Yes, Cam has a girlfriend. Who the hell cares?" Dustin spat out harshly. The guys all stared at him. "Dude, what is up with you?" Shane asked.  
  
"Nothing." Dustin snarled. Shane rolled his eyes.  
  
"Yeah sure... what's wrong?" Shane tried again. Dustin swung around and looked at him.  
  
"There.... is... Nothing... wrong!" He screamed. The others backed away. Hunter was first to speak.  
  
"Dude, if there's nothing wrong... then why are you acting like you've got a pickle shoved up your ass?" Hunter asked. That was it for Dustin. He ran forward and tackled Hunter to the ground. Dustin landed a punch to Hunter's eye, and jaw. Blake, Shane and Cam managed to pull Dustin off the now bleeding Hunter. Hunter pushed himself into a sitting position and looked at Dustin.  
  
"What the fuck man?!" he yelled. Dustin flipped Hunter off.  
  
"Fuck you man!" Dustin yelled back. Hunter pushed himself onto his feet.  
  
"Naw... Fuck yourself... It's cheaper." Hunter growled walking away. Dustin glared at Blake.  
  
"Oh, are you going to hit me now for hurting your brother?" Dustin asked. Blake backed off with his hand up defensively. "Hey, I ain't even going to touch you." Blake said. Dustin nodded and walked off to get some logs. Blake watched him leave.   
  
". Cause Summer's probably going to kill you." Blake muttered. Dustin turned around. He snorted.  
  
"She touches me, I'll do what I did to Hunter to her." Dustin told the group. Shane stepped forward.  
  
"You hurt Summer, and you'll have to deal with Joey..." Shane told him. Dustin growled.  
  
"So it's basically a chain reaction?" He asked. The guys nodded.  
  
"Fuck.... I'm screwed." He muttered.  
  
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Hunter wandered back to the cave and stopped outside it.  
  
"Summer?" He called inside. Summer perked up when her heard her name.  
  
"Yeah?" She called back.  
  
"Can you come here please?" He asked. Summer exited the cave to find Hunter standing there. Her face lit up in alarm.  
  
"What happened?" She asked, concerned for her boyfriend. Hunter sighed.  
  
"I pissed Dustin off..." He told her. Summer's face darkened.  
  
"And he hit you?" She asked angrily. Hunter nodded. She led him inside the cave.  
  
"Can you guys look after Hunter for a few minutes?" She asked. The girls nodded and began getting Hunter cleaned up. Summer set off to kick Dustin's ass. Larissa watched Summer leave.  
  
"Where is she going?" She asked. "Probably to kill Dustin." Hunter sighed. Tori, Larissa and Joey stared at him.   
  
"...Or pick berries..." Hunter added quickly. "I'll go make sure she doesn't kill him too much." Tori said, going after Summer.  
  
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Summer marched to the clearing and saw Shane, Cam, Blake and Dustin talking. Dustin had his back to her. She stormed down to where they were standing and tapped Dustin on the shoulder. He turned around, and was met with Summer's fist connecting with his jaw.  
  
"You fucking asshole!" He yelled. If it was possible, Summer got angrier.  
  
"I should be calling you that... How dare you touch Hunter!" She screamed at him. Dustin picked himself up.  
  
"Better watch what you say Summer. Wouldn't want you ending up like your pathetic boyfriend." Dustin snarled.  
  
"He is not pathetic.... And if you want to fight... Bring It." She told her, beckoning him towards her. Dustin stormed forward. He brought his fist back and was about to connect it with Summer's nose, when he heard Tori scream at him. Summer turned at the last minute, and Dustin smashed his fist into the side of her jaw. Summer, who wasn't expecting this, tumbled to the ground, holding her jaw. Tori barged through the bushes.  
  
"You did NOT just hit my friend." Tour snarled as she tried to get at him herself.  
  
"Hold her back." Cam suggested to Blake in a low voice. Blake nodded.  
  
"Holding." He said as he quickly got between Tori and Dustin, pulling Tori away from Dustin.  
  
"Calm down, Killer." Blake said to Tori. Summer lay on the ground, holding her jaw, trying not to cry. She pushed herself into standing position and glared at Dustin.  
  
"How dare you." She muttered. Dustin glared at her and mocked her.  
  
"Those that deserve... Get." He spat. Summer was thunderstruck.  
  
"I didn't do anything to you." She cried. Dustin snorted and rolled his eyes.  
  
"And you don't call hitting me doing something?" He asked sarcastically. Summer growled.  
  
"You hurt Hunter... You deserved it!" She screeched at him. He rolled his eyes again.  
  
"And Hunter needs you to fight his battles?" He asked. He snorted again, not waiting for an answer.  
  
"What a fucking pansy." He laughed. Summer charged towards him, and tackled him around the waist, sending them both sprawling towards the cliff. Summer sent another punch flying, this time at his nose. Dustin flipped her over and sent a punch of his own, at her eyes. They continued to roll until they reached the edge of the cliff. They reached the edge and Summer was keeling over him. She kneed him hard in the jewels and he nailed her one in the stomach. He managed to flip her over, and they tumbled off the cliff. Tori, Shane, Cam and Blake who had been watching the fight, watched in horror as two of their own fell off the cliff. Summer managed to let go of Dustin, but it didn't do her any good. She had been on the bottom when they tumbled, so she hit the rocky grass hill first, and rolled/bounced down the rest of the escarpment. Dustin landed painfully on the same spot Summer had, but managed to slow himself to a stop. Tori, Blake and Cam went to the bottom of the cliff. "Oh my god, Summer." Tori said as she went over to her. Dustin groaned and sat up. "Oh...Yeah.........Hey, I'm OK." Dustin said sourly. Tori glared at him. "You hit her, you are not getting any sympathy from me."  
  
"Hey! She hit me first!" Dustin exclaimed. "And you hit Hunter first." Blake said. Tori beckoned Cam over. Summer was laying face down. Just from the back of her body, there were burses; cuts and scrapes all down her arms, back and legs. Tori bit her lip to keep from crying. Tori and Cam gently flipped Summer onto her back. The front side of her body wasn't much better than the back. Her shirt was torn even more than before, there was blood running down her face and legs, and an open wound on her stomach. Tori let out a sob just by looking at Summer's broken body. Blake went over to her and gathered her in his arms. Dustin got up and slowly approached Summer.  
  
"Is....Is she OK?" He asked, afraid he had really hurt her. "What do you care, bastard?" Tori snapped. Dustin sighed.  
  
"All I want to know if she's ok.... I shouldn't have hit her." He said sadly. He swiped at his eyes and sniffed. Tori's face softened.  
  
"Sorry." She said. Dustin shrugged.  
  
"Don't be... I hurt her, I deserve to be treated like shit." He replied. Cam sighed loudly and ran his hands over her face. Tori looked at him.  
  
"Well?" She asked. Cam sighed.  
  
"She's alive...But unconscious." He told them. Tori smiled and hugged Blake.  
  
"Thank god." She muttered into his shoulder. Blake looked at Cam.  
  
"There's something else isn't there?" He quirred. Cam nodded.  
  
"Since she is unconscious, she can't walk... and we need to get her back up to the cave." He told them.  
  
"I'll go get Hunter." Tori said. She climbed up the cliff and went to the cave. Dustin, Shane, Cam and Blake looked at Summer's broken body.  
  
"Is she gonna be ok considering?" Blake asked. Cam shrugged.  
  
"The ground isn't the best here, I need to take a better look at her injuries." He said. The guys nodded. Cam looked at Dustin.  
  
"Are you alright?" He asked. Dustin nodded.  
  
"Nothing another beating won't fix." He muttered back.  
  
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Tori bounced towards the cave and ran into Larissa. She moved past her and stopped in front of Hunter, who looked to be asleep.  
  
"Hunter." She hissed. He stirred and opened his eyes.  
  
"What?" He asked sleepily. Tori pulled him to his feet.  
  
"I need your help, come-on." She said dragging him from the cave. Once they had moved from where Larissa and Joey were, Tori slowed to a stop and turned to face him.  
  
"I bet your wondering why I dragged you out here." She said non-chantilly. Hunter nodded. Tori let out a shaky breath.  
  
"Dustin and Summer were fighting, and they both fell off the cliff..." She said. Hunter's eyes went wide.  
  
"Wh..... What?" He asked trying to grasp the information. Tori repeated what she had just said. A single tear fell from Hunter's eyes. He made no move to wipe it away.  
  
"What...What happened?" Hunter asked.  
  
"She's alive." Tori said. Hunter let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding.   
  
"She's just unconscious.... and really hurt." Tori said. Hunter looked at her.  
  
"And how's Dustin?" He asked.  
  
"He's all right." She said. Hunter nodded.  
  
"Good, I don't have to feel guilty when I kill him." Hunter snarled as he ran to the cliff. Tori sighed and followed. Hunter reached the cliff's edge and bounced to the bottom. He landed between Shane and Blake. Hunter started for Summer, but was held back by Shane and Blake.  
  
"Easy man... She's gonna be fine." Blake told his brother. Hunter nodded. Blake and Shane released their grips on Hunter, who immedality swung towards Dustin.  
  
"You did this." Hunter growled. Dustin made no move to explain his actions, he only nodded. While Hunter, Shane, Dustin and Blake were occupied, Tori went to help Cam. She knelt beside him.  
  
"Anything I can do?" She asked quietly. Cam shook his head.  
  
"We need to get her out of here before Dustin and Hunter kill each other." He said. Tori nodded. Hunter went over to Summer and kneeled beside her. She stirred slightly. Her eyes opened and she looked up at him.   
  
"Hunter?" She asked. Hunter smiled lovingly down on her.  
  
"Hey, baby." He said. Summer went to get up. Hunter stopped her.   
  
"Hey, hey, you really got hurt. I don't think you should move." He said. Summer sighed and nodded. He gently scooped her up. Summer put her arms around his neck. Hunter kissed her forehead as she laid her head against his chest. Shane intervened between Dustin and Hunter.  
  
"I think I'm going to go to the cave first, to keep Joey and Larissa from killing Dustin." He said. Hunter looked up at Dustin.  
  
"Don't think you're off the hook." He snarled lowly as he streaked up the cliff. Dustin sighed. Cam, Tori, and Blake looked at him. Walking past them, Dustin followed Hunters actions and streaked up the cliff. Tori and Blake went next followed by Cam.  
  
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Hunter landed at the top of the cliff and walked slowly back towards the cave. Summer shifted gently. Hunter tried to accommodate her shifting so she wouldn't aggravate her wounds.  
  
"Just stay still honey." He said gently. Summer let out a small sigh and closed her eyes. Hunter approached the cave and entered to find Joey and Larissa sitting against the wall talking.  
  
"Guys." He said. Joey and Larissa looked at him, then Summer who was laying in his arms.  
  
"Oh... my... god..." Larissa whispered getting to her feet. Larissa and Joey moved out of the way so Hunter could lie Summer down.  
  
"What happened?" Joey asked.   
  
"Dustin." Hunter growled lowly.   
  
"Oh...I'll kill him!" Joey shrieked. She went to leave the cave. Shane stopped her. "Hey, he feels bad enough as it is, he doesn't need that." "Who gives a shit about what he needs?" Joey screamed.  
  
"Joey... just drop it for now." Came Summer's weak, but audible voice. Joey turned around.  
  
"He tired to kill you, and you say wait for another day?!" Joey yelled at her friend. Summer sighed.  
  
"Joey... I know you want to kill him..." Summer began. Joey snorted and inturrpeted her.  
  
"Kill isn't the word... More like disembowel." Joey replied. Summer sighed and gave up.  
  
"Whatever." Summer said.  
  
"You're not killing Dustin." Hunter said. Summer sighed.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"Excuse me? What the hell kind of boyfriend are you?" Joey yelled.  
  
"The kind that will kill Dustin himself." Hunter replied.  
  
"If anyone's going to kill me, get it over with now." Dustin said as he and the others entered the cave. Joey spun around to face him.  
  
"With pleasure!" She said as she lunged at him. Shane, Larissa, Blake, Tori, and Cam struggled to hold her back. Dustin sighed.  
  
"Joey I'd normally let you kill me, but since Hunter is Summer's boyfriend, he gets first dibbs." Dustin told her. Joey snarled and snapped at him, but backed off. She sat at one end of the cave pouting. Shane went down to comfort her. Cam went to Summer and kneeled by her head.  
  
"How ya feeling?" He asked softly. She closed her eyes and sighed.  
  
"Like I just got run over by a truck... what happened?" She asked. Hunter and Cam looked at each other.  
  
"You don't remember?" They both asked at the same time. Summer re-opened her eyes.  
  
"All I remember is fighting with Dustin, then falling off the cliff.... Then it went dark and all I remember is waking up." She told them truthfully. Cam nodded.  
  
"That's basically what happened." Cam said. Summer nodded.   
  
"Oh." She said.   
  
"Bring him over here." She asked.   
  
"Is his head on a stick good?" Hunter asked.   
  
"Hunter." Summer said sternly. Hunter sighed.  
  
"Dustin." He called. Dustin walked over.   
  
"Yeah?" He said.  
  
"Come closer." Summer said. Dustin got a bit closer.   
  
"Closer." She said. Dustin did so.   
  
"Closer." She said again. Dustin got closer. He was now right by her face.   
  
"Yes?" He said. Summer reached up and smacked the side of his head.   
  
"OW!" Dustin yelled.  
  
"That's for hitting my boyfriend." Summer said calmly. Dustin hung his head in shame.  
  
"I deserved that..." He said. Summer sighed.  
  
"Yes, you did." She said. Dustin sighed and looked at Summer.  
  
"I'm so very sorry." he told her truthfully. Summer smiled sadly.  
  
"I know you are..." She replied. Dustin smiled.  
  
"I'd hug you if you weren't in so much pain." He said. Summer chuckled.  
  
"Yeah...." She said.  
  
"So, does this mean we can't kill him?" Hunter asked. Summer laughed softly.  
  
"No, baby, you can't kill him." She said. Hunter pouted.  
  
"Pweeze?" He asked. Summer grabbed him and pulled him to sit by her.   
  
"Wouldn't you rather sit here with me?" She asked sweetly. Hunter seemed to think about this for a bit.  
  
"Hmm, well, I guess." He said. Summer rolled her eyes.  
  
"Had to think about that eh?" She asked. Hunter chuckled and helped to lift Summer into his embrace. Cam set to work on the cuts on her legs. The other guys went about putting the logs together for the fire. They had set the logs up and then looked at each other.  
  
"Ok, who's got the matches?" Blake asked.   
  
"Oh, man, sorry, I must've left them in the other pants I use for being teleported to a deserted island." Shane said. Joey sighed and got up. She shoved Dustin and Cam aside and kneeled by the logs. She held her hand over the bundle.   
  
"What are you doing?" Shane asked.  
  
"Nothing, you're breaking my concentration, shut up." Joey replied harshly. Shane stepped back.  
  
"Sor-rey." He said. Joey took a deep breath and concentrated. Soon, a flame erupted on the bundle of sticks. Everyone except Larissa and Summer were surprised. Joey got up and dusted off the knees of her pants.   
  
"How-" Shane asked.  
  
"Fire Ninja, dingus, you do the math." Joey replied.  
  
"Oh." Shane said. Everyone sat by the fire.  
  
"So what are we going to talk about?" Shane asked. Everyone looked at him.  
  
"Dingus." Joey muttered. Shane perked up.  
  
"Tell us about the Fire Lightening Ninja Academy, and Summer, about the Thunder Academy." Tori suggested. The girls shrugged, then nodded.  
  
"Why not." Larissa said.  
  
"Well, my story's pretty much the shortest." Summer shrugged.   
  
"So I'll go first."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Summer's Memories~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
11-year-old Summer Jones lay asleep in her bed. Her babysitter Kaylie was downstairs waiting for her parents to come home. It was about 11pm at night, and Mrs. and Dr. Jones said they would be home at 9pm. Kaylie pushed herself off the couch and wandered towards the stairs, when there was a knock at the front door. Cautiously, Kaylie answered it, coming face to face with a police officer.  
  
"Yes officer? What can I do for you?" She asked quietly. The police officer sighed.  
  
"Are you Summer Jones?" He asked. Kaylie shook her head.  
  
"No I'm Kaylie Adams, I'm babysitting Summer." She replied. The police officer sighed again.  
  
"Would it be possible to speak with Ms. Jones?" He asked. Kaylie nodded.  
  
"Come in please. I'll go get her." She said running up the stairs. Kaylie opened the door to Summer's room and tiptoed over to Summer's bed. She shook Summer by the shoulders gently.  
  
"Summer honey... wake up." She said. Summer stirred and looked at Kaylie.  
  
"Yeah?" She asked sleepily. Kaylie sighed.  
  
"Honey, you need to come downstairs." Kaylie told the girl. Summer nodded. She slipped on her slippers and robe and walked down the stairs. Summer came face to face with a police officer.  
  
"Yes?" She asked quietly. The officer's face softened.  
  
"Ms. Jones?" He asked. Summer nodded. He sighed.  
  
"I'm afraid I have some bad news for you." He told her gently. Summer nodded again.  
  
"I regret to inform you that.... your parents were involved in a car accident this evening around 8:55pm... Their car slammed into a transport truck... neither survived... I'm so very sorry." He told her gently. Summer stood there just looking at him. She finally found her voice and asked,  
  
"So what happens now?" The police officer sighed again.  
  
"Were contacting next of kin for you, and we'll go from there. We've received response from your Uncle David Forester in Hartington California. He'll be here tomorrow." The officer said. Summer nodded.  
  
"Thank you." She said. Nodding the officer excused himself from the house. Kaylie looked at Summer and hugged her.  
  
"I'm going to call my mom and dad and tell them alright?" She asked. Summer nodded. She wandered over to the couch and curled her legs underneath her tiny body. She grabbed a pillow and hugged it tightly as her tears flowed freely down her face.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Real World ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Summer wiped away the few tears that had fallen and looked at everyone else, then spoke.  
  
"I was like a walking corpse until my uncle and I had to leave New York. He was a graduate of the Thunder Ninja Academy, and was living out that way, he decided that I was going to attend the Thunder Academy."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Summer's Memories again ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Summer." Her uncle David sighed. He was getting nowhere with his niece.  
  
"You need to attend some sort of Academy for schooling... And since I graduated from the Thunder Ninja Academy, you should be attending there." He told her gently as they packed up what was left of Summer's room.  
  
"So, what is it, some sort of boarding school?" Summer asked, tears in her eyes.   
  
"Uncle David, if you didn't want me to be here with you, you could've just said so." Her uncle dropped what he was holding and looked at her. "Of course I want you here with me. The Thunder Academy isn't too far off, it's going to be OK." He said. He went over to her and pulled her into a hug.   
  
"I love you more then anything. You are my family." He said. Summer sniffed and hugged him back.  
  
"So what's this place like?" She asked. David smiled.  
  
"It's a lovely place..." He said. Summer nodded.  
  
"Ok, I'll go... will there be girls there my age to hang out with?" She asked. David looked away sheepishly.  
  
"I forgot to mention that part." He told her. Summer looked at him, puzzled. He chuckled.  
  
"The Thunder Academy is all boys sweetheart." He told her. Summer stared at him. "...Uh..." She said. "We need to get you a hair cut." He said. "Uncle David, aren't there any places for girls?" She asked. "Well, there is, but that's a bit far from here." He said. Summer sighed. "OK. So, will I be getting a lot of trouble for being the only girl?" Summer asked.  
  
(((((((((((((((Real world))))))))))))))))))))))))) "Uncle David told me I had to pretend I was a boy." Summer said. "We got my hair cut, and I went to the Academy hiding my face. (((((((((((Memory))))))))))))))  
  
Sensei Oramo looked up as David's car approached the Academy. He smiled as his former student got out of the car carrying some bags. He was followed by a young boy who's face was covered. David came to Sensei and set the bags down. He bowed respectfully.  
  
"Sensei Oramo." He said.  
  
"David." Sensei said, pulling him into a hug.   
  
"I was so sorry to hear about John's passing." He said softly.   
  
"Are you all right?" David nodded.   
  
"Yes." He said.   
  
"Thank you." He reached back and gently pushed the boy behind him forward.   
  
"Sensei, this is my nephew, John's son, Sean." He said.   
  
"He was in the accident with John and his wife. His face was badly scarred. It is all right if he wears this, right?" Sensei Oramo looked down at Sean. He had his eyes cast down. He looked so sad and dejected.   
  
"Yes, of course. I wouldn't want to do anything to make Sean feel uncomfortable." He said. David smiled.  
  
"Thank you." He said. Sensei looked over at two young boys. One had blonde hair; the other was younger and looked Asian. He called them over.   
  
"Yes Sensei?" The blonde asked.   
  
"Boys, this is our newest student, Sean." He said, introducing them. The two boys looked at Sean and bowed respectfully.  
  
"Welcome." They said in unison. Sean looked at his uncle unsurely. David nodded. Sean bowed. Sensei Oramo smiled. He looked at the boys.  
  
"Come, let us let David say goodbye to Sean. Take Sean's things to one of the unoccupied rooms." He said. The two boys nodded.  
  
"Yes Sensei." They said as they picked up the bags and left. Sensei Oramo moved a few feet away to give Summer and David time to say goodbye. Summer looked at her uncle.  
  
"I'm scared." She whispered. David leaned down and enveloped her in a hug.  
  
"Stay strong sweetie... I'm only a few miles away if you really need to see Me." he said gently. Summer sniffed and nodded.  
  
"I love you uncle David." She said quietly, swiping at her face. David smiled.  
  
"I love you too." He whispered. He hugged Summer one last time and set off towards his car.  
  
'Time to do this.' Summer's mind told her. She smiled, waved and turned around. There stood Sensei Oramo. He kneeled in front of her.  
  
"You are a very brave child. Come, let's get you settled in." He said, leading 'Sean' towards his bunkroom.  
  
(((((((((((((((((((Real world)))))))))))))))))))))) "That was us." Blake said, remembering. "I know that now." Summer said. She smiled at Hunter. The weird thing was, she was kind of interested in him back then. But of course, she couldn't do anything about that, so she would act cold, mean, and competitive towards Hunter.  
  
((((((((((((Memory))))))))))))))))))))))))))) Summer/Sean caught on to the training rather quickly. She figured it was because it was in her blood. She was currently sitting by a tree reading. "Hey, Sean." Came a voice. Summer turned around to see him...the boy she liked. He walked over.   
  
"You've been showing everyone up in sparring, that's not fair." He said. Summer simply shrugged. She never talked, afraid her voice sounded to feminine.   
  
"Yeah, well, the guys and I talked, and we decided that if you don't quit showing off, you'll be sorry." He said. Summer gave him a look and slowly stood up. She stared him in the eyes for a while. Then slowly turned away and walked off.  
  
((((((((((((((((((((Real world)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) "Man, I feel like such an idiot." Hunter muttered. Summer smiled and looked at him. "You didn't know, it's ok." She said.  
  
))))))))))))))))))))))))))))(((((((((((((((((((Memory))))))))))))))))))))))) ((((((((((((((((((((((((  
  
Hunter soared through the sky after Sean flipped him over with just one foot. Hunter fell on his back and spun around, glaring up at Sean as he stood up, dusting himself off with ease. Sean turned to leave. Hunter jumped to his feet. He may have been just twelve, but he still had his pride, and he wasn't going to let someone walk away from a fight. He launched himself at Sean, tackling them to the ground. Sean grunted as the two fell. Hunter's fist slammed against his face. Sean kneed him in the stomach, throwing Hunter off. Sean sat up and wiped his hand across his nose, which was now bleeding. He glared at Hunter. He got up and then left.  
  
))))))))))))))((((((((((((((((((((Real World)))))))))))))))))))))))))))((((((((((((((((  
  
"After that incident, Sensei found out, and I was called into talk to him. Little did I know, that Sensei Oramo had already called my uncle and told him that I was being removed from the academy." Summer told the group.  
  
))))))))))))))))))) Memory (((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((  
  
Summer walked cautiously up the stairs and into the academy. She knew that Sensei Oramo was going to be mad for fighting with Hunter, but she didn't care. She knocked on the door to Sensei Oramo's office.  
  
"Enter!" Boomed the loud voice of Sensei Oramo. She opened the door and came face to face with her uncle David. Her eyes went wide in surprise, but her surprise was cut short, when Sensei Oramo stalked over to her and ripped her covering off her head. Locks of blond hair fell out and tears welled up in Summer's eyes.  
  
"David." Sensei Oramo muttered.  
  
"I gave you wonderful training here, and this is how you repay me? By bringing a girl into my academy?" Sensei Oramo yelled at David. Summer cringed and bit her lip.  
  
"I have already asked someone to bring your things here." Sensei told Summer. She looked at Sensei Oramo.  
  
"I'm so sorry Sensei." She murmured. Sensei Oramo nodded.  
  
"I know you are dear child. And I would normally let you stay. but this is no place for a little girl such as yourself." He told her gently. Summer nodded. Sensei smiled.  
  
"I have arranged for you to be accepted at the Fire and Lightening Ninja Academy in Glassington. They will be expecting you in a week." Sensei Oramo told her. There was a knock at the door.  
  
"Sensei?" Hunter's voice called. Summer tensed at his voice.  
  
"I have Sean's bags." Hunter called again. Sensei stood and walked to the door, making sure Summer's body was hidden so Hunter couldn't see her. He opened the door and retrieved the bags from Hunter.  
  
"Thank you Hunter. You may go." Sensei Oramo told the 13-year-old boy, who bowed respectively and left. Sensei closed the door and handed Summer her bags. David stepped forward and handed Summer some girly clothing that she had left at his house.  
  
"There is a room to change right here." Sensei Oramo said pointing to a little change room. Summer went inside and pulled off her Ninja Uniform and pulled a pair of black jeans, and a pink tank top. She exited the room and handed her uniform to Sensei, who pushed it back to her.  
  
"This is yours to keep." He said. Summer looked at him puzzled. She placed it in her bags and zipped them up. Sensei came over to her and handed her a hand carved rosewood box.  
  
"Open it." He told her. She opened the box, and there lay a Thunder Morpher.  
  
"Prophecy foretold of a Lady of Thunder attending the academy for almost 2 years, and after the 2 years, she would be removed from the school, and sent to another. But it was foretold that the Lady of Thunder would receive the third and final Thunder Morpher." Sensei told her. Summer closed the box.  
  
"So what does it mean to me?" She asked. Sensei smiled and opened her bag and removed her uniform. Instead of the coloring on the uniform being black, like it had been before, it was now a beautiful neon pink color.  
  
"When the time comes, and the world is in danger, you will use this morpher to become the Pink Thunder Ranger. But you cannot tell anyone of this until that time comes. You will give this box to the Sensei's at your new Academy, they will know what to do." Sensei Oramo told Summer. She nodded, smiled and placed the gifts into her bags and re-zipped them up. She handed them to her uncle David. She turned to Sensei Oramo as David left.  
  
"Thank you again for everything Sensei Oramo. I just wish I could stay." She told him. Sensei nodded. He bent down and hugged her. David came back and waited. Sensei Oramo and Summer finished hugging and Summer and David exited the Academy building. Hunter, and Blake stood outside the Academy talking quietly. Hunter was standing facing the academy and saw David and Summer exit the building. Not knowing who Summer was at the time, Hunter stared at her. Her blond hair flew around her head. She didn't notice Hunter or Blake until she was walking past them. She turned her head and her emerald green eyes were met with blue and brown ones. Summer glared long and hard at Hunter before whipping her head back around, and leaving the academy, and Hunter's heart, for what they both thought, was forever.  
  
((((((((((((((Real world))))))))))))))))))))))) "And that's when I went to the Fire and Lightening Academy." Summer said. "And met us." Larissa piped in. Summer smiled. "Yeah. So, that's basically it. So...Who's next?"   
  
"Well, since Joey and I grew up together, might as well go together." Larissa said. "Oh joy." Joey replied.  
  
((((((((((((((((((( Joey and Larissa's Memories)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))  
  
13-year-old Joey Sanchez, and 11-year-old Larissa Lekika sat outside the Lightening and Fire Ninja Academy. They were so bored. Larissa's mother, Taheaira had told them they would be receiving a new student who was from the Thunder Ninja Academy.  
  
"So, new student huh?" Joey said to Larissa who just nodded.  
  
"Something wrong Rissa?" Joey asked. Larissa sighed.  
  
"Well, I was reading something recently on the Thunder Academy, and it says that they only accept boys... and mother says that this new student is a girl... it doesn't make any sense." Larissa said. Joey shrugged.  
  
"Well whatever this person did, it must have been really bad to get kicked out halfway through the year." Joey told her. Larissa nodded.  
  
((((((((((((Real world))))))) "You thought I was some kind of delinquent?" Summer asked. "She thought you were competition for badass of the academy." Larissa giggled.  
  
"Hey I resent that!" Joey said defensively. Summer laughed.  
  
"Good to know I had such a rep." Summer said. Everyone laughed.  
  
"Anyway...." Joey said. ((((((((Memory))))))))))) "Josephina, Larissa." Came Carmen's voice as she approached them.   
  
"It's time for your training." She said. "Ay, Mama, can't we have a break today?" Joey begged. "Josephina." Her mother said sternly. Joey sighed. "Coming." She said.  
  
))))))))))))))((((((((((((((( Real World )))))))))))))))((((((((((((((  
  
" That was your mom, always the slave driver." Larissa joked. Joey smiled.  
  
"That's where I got it from." She replied.  
  
)))))))))))))))))))))))))) Memory ((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((  
  
Joey and Larissa were sparing with each other when Carmen, who had been supervising them, left.  
  
"Joey? Where'd your mom go?" Larissa asked. Joey shrugged.  
  
"I have no clue.. Maybe that new student is here?" Joey suggested. Larissa shrugged.  
  
"Maybe." Larissa responded. They went back to sparing.  
  
))))))))))))))))))) Real World (((((((((((((((((((((((((((  
  
"You and Joey sparred?" Summer asked surprised. Both girls nodded.  
  
"Weird." Summer said. Joey and Larissa laughed and continued their story.  
  
((((((((((Memory))))))))))))) Summer and Carmen walked back over to the girls. Carmen paused when she saw Claire, one of the other girls, bothering Larissa as always. "Hey, geek, I don't even know why you bother training, you're nerd and will always be a nerd." Claire cackled. Joey narrowed her eyes and pushed Larissa back behind her, stepping in Claire's face.  
  
"And you're a bitch and will always be a bitch, now back off." Joey said. "Who's going to make me?" Claire asked.   
  
"You? You don't scare me." "Well, Claire, how about I introduce you to Mr. Fist." Joey said as her fist slammed into Claire's nose. Claire screamed and fell back. Summer stepped back, afraid. "Josephina!" Carmen yelled. Joey turned around and smiled innocently.  
  
"Si Mama?" She called. Carmen shook her head and beckoned her daughter and Larissa towards her.  
  
"This is Summer Jones, she is from the Thunder Ninja Academy... I'd like you to show her around until she gets the hang of things around here." Carmen told the girls. They smiled and nodded.  
  
"Come-on lets go get you settled into your bunk area." Larissa said, taking Summer's bags. Summer smiled.  
  
"Thanks." She said quietly. Carmen pulled Joey aside. "Joey, I understand that you feel very protective of Larissa, but you cannot hit other students, entiendes?" She asked. "Si Mama, I understand." Joey sighed. She bowed to her mother and went with Summer and Larissa around the academy. Carmen shook her head and walked over to Claire.  
  
"Claire." She sighed helping the girl up.  
  
"You cannot tease other students like that... it is not right..." Carmen told her. Claire scoffed.  
  
"Sorry Sensei." She said. Carmen nodded.  
  
"Get going then." Carmen said. Claire nodded and ran off to finish training for the day.  
  
))))))))))))))))))))))) Real World ((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((  
  
"Oh I remember Claire.... Vein Dourest right?" Summer asked. Joey and Larissa nodded.  
  
"Biggest Bitch in the world." Joey said. They laughed.  
  
)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) Memory (((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((  
  
Joey, Summer and Larissa were in the courtyard of there home, the academy. Joey was painting a portrait of her two best friends when she heard hushed voices. She looked over and saw her mom and Larissa's mom talking.  
  
"Something wrong?" Larissa asked from her sitting pose by the tree. Joey looked at her and shook her head.  
  
"Our moms are talking." She said. Larissa looked over, as did Summer.  
  
"Must be something major." Summer commented. She looked at Larissa.  
  
"You're the psychic, read their minds." She joked. Larissa laughed and rolled her eyes.  
  
"I'm not the psychic, mom is. Besides, it's premonitions, not mind reading." She said.  
  
"Oh, well, then what purpose do you serve?" Joey joked.  
  
"Ha ha, very funny." Larissa said. Summer laughed.  
  
"Josephina." Came the voice of Joey's mother as she and Larissa's mom walked over. Joey put down her paint and looked up.  
  
"Si mama?" She asked.  
  
"Come here with me, I need to give you something." She said. Joey looked at her, puzzled.  
  
"Mama, can't it wait? I'm painting Summer and Larissa." She said. Her mother looked at her sharply.  
  
"Ahorita." She stated. Joey stood up.  
  
"Ay voy." She sighed. She looked at her friends.  
  
"We'll finish this later." She said as she followed her mother as she went into the academy temple. Her mother went to the back of the temple where the tech base was located; it was usually Larissa's domain. She pulled out a disc and a box, handing it to Joey.  
  
"Que es esto?" Joey asked.  
  
"Mija," her mother said softly.  
  
"Something bad is going to happen, and these things are important."  
  
"Bad? How bad?" Joey asked. Her mother dawned a pained expression.  
  
"Bad." She said.  
  
"Well, what is it?" Joey asked. She went to open the box. Her mother stopped her.  
  
"It will help you. Do not open it yet." She said.  
  
"Pero.... Mama, si nos puede ayudar, I have to open it now." Joey said. ((AN: Translation: But mom, if it can help us...))  
  
"Deja lo." Her mother ordered softly. ((AN: Leave it.)) Joey could do nothing but nod. The box had contained the Fire morpher, the Lightening morpher, and the Thunder morpher. The disc was a message from her and Larissa's moms telling them what the morphers where, how to use them, explain what had just happened, and other information. After her mother gave her the box and the disc, Joey hid them in her room, not sure what else there was she could do. She didn't tell Summer or Larissa. She just went back out to the courtyard. A little while later, the ground shook.  
  
"What's happening?" Larissa exclaimed.  
  
"It's happening." She said. Joey's mother looked at the three young girls.  
  
"Come." She said. And with that, they grabbed Summer, Larissa and Joey, pulling them toward the academy's storm shelter.  
  
"What's going on?" Summer asked. Joey turned her head and saw a woman with pink hair, another with brown, a man with a mask on his face dressed in some sort of royal attire or something, and two weird looking aliens. Joey gasped as some of the academy students began to fight.  
  
"Mama!" Joey exclaimed.  
  
"I know, keep going!" She ordered. The five of them ran into the storm shelter.  
  
"Stay here, you will be safe." Larissa's mother said. She and Joey's mom went to leave.  
  
"What? Where are you going?!" Joey exclaimed. She grabbed her mother's hand. Her mother hugged her and kissed her cheek. Larissa looked at her mom.  
  
"Mom, what's going on?" She asked. Her mother went to her and stroked her cheek.  
  
"Stay put." She whispered. Joey's mom let Joey go.  
  
"Taheaira, let's go." She said. Larissa's mom nodded. The two left. They shut the door, locking it behind them. Joey slammed her shoulder against the door. She ignored the intense pain shooting down her arm and kept going. The three girls could hear screams and fighting going on from outside.  
  
"Hurry up!" Summer yelled.  
  
"I'm trying!" Joey replied. "  
  
How about a little help!" Summer and Larissa ran over. Joey stepped back. "Count of 3." Larissa said.  
  
"1." Summer said.  
  
"2." Larissa said.  
  
"3!" Joey called out. The three pushed at the door together, it finally gave way and opened. The girls fell out of the room. They scrambled to their feet, that's when they realized the screams had begun to lessen.  
  
"I don't like the sound of that." Summer said.  
  
"You think their...Dead?" Larissa said, tears in her eyes at the thought of her mom being dead. The screams were now non-existent.  
  
"Let's go." Joey said. The three of them ran to the edge of the temple doors. They saw Larissa's mom, Taheaira, fighting off the two women who had appeared before. Joey searched around the area. All the other students were gone. She then saw the man with the mask, approaching her mother, Carmen.  
  
"Carmen," he said softly.  
  
"So good to see you again." He sneered. Carmen stood in a fighting stance.  
  
"Too bad I can't say the same for you, Lothor." She replied.  
  
"AH!" Someone yelled. The girls turned to see some large bubble incase Taheaira.  
  
"Mo..Mmmph!" Larissa tried to scream, Summer put her hand over her mouth. The girl's watched in horror as the bubble disappeared in the sky.  
  
"What the hell is going on...."? Joey said softly. She looked over to her mom, who was fighting the man. She delivered a kicked to his gut. He staggered back. He growled and ran to her. He smacked her with the back of his hand, hard, sending her to the ground. Joey growled and went to help her, Summer grabbed her arm and pulled her back. Then, another bubble incased Carmen.  
  
"No." Joey gasped. The bubble disappeared as well. The man laughed and looked at his comrades.  
  
"We'll, all is done here, let's go." He said.  
  
"Coming uncle!" The two women said gleefully. After her and Larissa's moms, the students, and those goons disappeared, the three girls ran around the base, trying to find anyone else, but they realized it was only them. They were scared, confused, angry and sad for a while, and then Joey remembered the box and the case. She brought it to the other two. Larissa played the disc for them on the computer, and they then had all their answers. The man who attacked them was Lothor. The two women, Kapri and Marah. The aliens, Chooboo and Zurgane.  
  
((((((((((((((((Real world))))))))))))))))))))))))))  
  
"So, your moms aren't dead?" Tori asked Larissa and Joey. They shook their heads. "No, not dead, just.........somewhere." Joey sighed. Larissa looked down. Cam put an arm around her. "So, what about your dads?" Blake asked.   
  
"Artificial insemination." Larissa said. "Rapist." Joey said breezily. Everyone, except Summer, stared at her. "What?" They all said. Joey sighed.  
  
"A few weeks back, I had a really bad fever and was pretty out of it... in my dreams, I saw my mom get raped..." Joey told them. Everyone was awestruck.  
  
"Oh my god... I'm so sorry." Tori said. Joey shrugged.  
  
"Don't be... it's not your fault." She told everyone.  
  
"Are you sure it was." Dustin asked. Joey looked at him. "I know, OK?" She said.   
  
"And the worse part is it was someone my mom knew. Someone she loved. And he used her..." Tears filled Joey's eyes. She sniffled and wiped at her cheeks quickly.   
  
"I'm tired." She said. Shane spoke for the group.  
  
"Lets all get some rest... we can search for a way off this island tomorrow. Night everyone." he said. Everyone nodded and said their goodnights.  
  
))))((((  
  
Hunter helped Cam to move Summer to the wall so she could sleep better. She lay on the ground, curled up against Hunter.  
  
"Are you alright?" He asked softly.  
  
"Mmmhmm." She said. Tori and Blake lay down together. Blake wrapped his arms around Tori from behind, her back against his chest. Tori held one of his hands in hers by her head. Larissa settled down at one corner of the cave. Cam turned to her and wasn't sure if he should lie by her or not. Larissa looked at Cam and smiled. He smiled back and went over to her. He slowly lay down next to her. Larissa put her arms around his waist and snuggled closer to him. He loved the feel of her so close. He smiled and kissed her forehead. Dustin plopped himself into a corner and curled up into a tiny ball. Joey shivered slightly and Shane looked at her.  
  
"Cold?" He asked. Joey nodded.  
  
"Yeah actually I am." She responded. Shane wandered over to her.  
  
"Mind if I...?" He asked. Joey smiled slightly.  
  
"Try anything and I'll hurt you." She told him. Shane smiled.  
  
"Well I kind of figured that." He joked as he wrapped his arms around her, keeping her warm.  
  
Joey rested her head against Shane's shoulder and shut her eyes, drifting to dreamland. Soon, everyone else was asleep as well. ((((((((((((((((((((((((Joey's dream))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) Joey was walking through the forest, the same one of her other dream.   
  
"Why did you do this to me!?" Carmen screamed. It was right after the man attacked her. He looked at her and kissed her softly. Carmen pushed him away and dragged her nails across his cheek. He turned away, yelling in pain. He looked at her, there were three cuts on his cheeks with blood trickling out.  
  
"Feisty." He grinned.   
  
"I've always loved that about you." Carmen cried, trying to hold her torn uniform up to cover herself.   
  
"Anyway, if you must know, I do need an heir..." He grinned. "I would never birth a child of yours, you bastard!" Carmen shrieked. The man simply chuckled.  
  
"Whatever you say. I know you'd never hurt a sweet innocent unborn child." He smiled. ((((Real world))) Joey woke up with a gasp. She blinked a few times. She looked around to see everyone still sleeping. She could still feel her mother's pain and sadness. Tears filled Joey's eyes. She slowly got up and left the cave. The loss of Joey next to him stirred Shane awake. He saw her silently walking out of the cave. He got up and followed her.  
  
"Joey?" He asked. Joey jumped and turned around.  
  
"Don't do that!" She hissed. Shane chuckled.  
  
"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you.... are you alright?" He asked. Joey shrugged and sat down on the ground.  
  
"I had another nightmare." She told him. Shane went over to her concernedly.  
  
"What happened?" He asked. Joey looked at him.  
  
"It was a continuation of the dream I had when I saw my mother being raped." She replied. Shane gathered her into a hug.  
  
"I'm so sorry." He told her gently.  
  
"I just feel so......Empty....." Joey whispered as tears cascaded down her cheeks. Shane held her closer. "Shh, shh, let it out." He whispered, rubbing her back comfortingly.   
  
"It's OK." He said.   
  
"It's going to be OK." He said. Joey rested her head on his chest. She felt so calm and safe in his arms. They sat there for a while. Joey's tears slowly subsided. She looked up at Shane. She saw concern and care in his eyes. The way he was looking at her filled her with something...What she wasn't sure. But whatever it was, made her lean up and capture his lips in a slow and long kiss. Shane was rather shocked. Was Joey really kissing him? He decided not to focus on the surprise of it, and responded to the kiss. Their tongues slowly danced against each other. Shane slowly pushed her back so she was lying down and he was on top of her. Joey's head was filled with the images in her nightmares. She shivered and tried to push him away. "No....." She whispered.   
  
"No, no, get off me." She sobbed gently. Shane pushed himself of Joey.  
  
"Oh my god... Joey..." He started. Joey pushed him off her the rest of the way.  
  
"Don't touch me." Joey growled. Shane looked at her.  
  
"Joey.... please forgive me... I shouldn't have done that..." He told her sincerely. Joey looked at him.  
  
"Then why'd you do it?" She asked.  
  
"Did you think that because I was upset you could just take advantage of me and I'd let you get away with it?" She shouted.  
  
"Hold up, you kissed me first." Shane said.   
  
"And....I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." Shane sighed.   
  
"I'm sorry." "Whatever. Just leave me alone." Joey said, standing up. Shane got up and followed. "Hey, we don't know what kind of things are on this island, it's not safe to wander off alone." Shane said grabbing her arm. Joey spun around. "Let go of me!" She shrieked. Summer awoke to a loud shriek. She gingerly lifted her head off Hunter's stomach and looked out the cave opening. She saw Joey trying to get away from Shane. She groaned softly and pushed herself up so she was standing. She reached out for the wall and leaned against it because she was so dizzy. She walked over Hunter and outside the cave.  
  
"What's going on?" She asked sleepily, scaring Shane and Joey. Joey swung around and face Summer.  
  
"This asshole was putting the moves on me!" Joey screeched again. Summer winced.  
  
"Ok no need to scream at me." She said. Joey sighed.  
  
"Sorry." She muttered. Summer waved her off.  
  
"Now what happened?" She asked.  
  
"Shane was trying to...do things to me." Joey said. Summer glared at Shane. Shane stepped back. "What the hell? I wasn't...I would never take advantage of you!" Shane yelled. "That's what all the guys say." Joey replied.   
  
"How am I supposed to know you're telling the truth?"  
  
"Because I'm in love with you!" Shane yelled. Summer and Joey both stared at him.   
  
"I mean..." He began. Summer sighed. "I'm going back to sleep." She said as she left. Joey blinked and looked at Shane. "What?" She asked.   
  
"You're what?" She hissed angrily.   
  
"I...........I said I love you..........Joey, I'd never hurt you..." He whispered. He stepped closer to her. Joey stepped back. "The guy who hurt my mom loved her, and she loved him. Love is nothing. Love is just a word people use to crawl into someone's life only to hurt them." Joey said.  
  
"Joey that's not true!" He said defensively. Joey snorted.  
  
"Yeah sure... Whatever you say." She replied walking back towards the cave.  
  
"Joey!" He called. She swung around and looked at him.  
  
"What do you want?" She growled. Shane inhaled.  
  
"I am sorry." He said. Joey looked at him.  
  
"Whatever." She replied coolly before walking back into the cave. Shane sighed and sat on a log, his head in his hands.  
  
"Why me?" He asked out loud. 


	19. Talks at Sunrise

Summer awoke a few hours after the Joey/Shane encounter. The sun was just peaking over the horizon, making it a beautiful morning. Summer went to push herself onto her knees, forgetting that she had fallen off a cliff the day previous. When she realized this it was already too late, her legs gave out, sending her sprawling forward on top of Hunter. The sudden weight of her shook Hunter awake. He opened his eyes. He looked at Summer.  
  
"Well," he said sleepily, rubbing his eyes. "This is an interesting way to wake up." He said. Summer smiled.  
  
"I fell." She said. Hunter chuckled.  
  
"Your not supposed to do that." he told her gently. She rolled off him and onto the ground of the cave.  
  
"You don't think I don't know that." She replied. Hunter smiled as he kissed her.  
  
"Now why were you trying to stand up?" He asked gently, pushing a piece of stray hair behind her ear. Summer blushed gently.  
  
"I wanted to see the sunrise." She told him truthfully. Hunter smiled.  
  
"Well, why didn't you just say so?" He asked.  
  
"I thought I just did." Summer replied. Hunter chuckled. He got up and gently helped her to her feet, letting her lean on him. He helped her walk out of the cave. The two of them sat on a log facing the rising sun. Summer leaned against Hunter and closed her eyes. "This is nice." She murmured. Hunter smiled and kissed her gently.  
  
"Yes it is." He replied. He stroked her cheek lovingly.  
  
"How you feeling today?" he asked. Summer shrugged.  
  
"Lets just say, the only part of me that doesn't hurt right now... is my feet." She said truthfully... She was in so much pain since she had fallen on Hunter about five minutes previous that she thought she was going to die.  
  
"Anything I can do?" He asked. Summer sighed.  
  
"What you're doing right now feels pretty good right now." She said.  
  
"What's that?" Hunter asked.  
  
"Just sitting here with me, holding me." She said. Hunter smiled.  
  
"Well, then, I guess I'll just have to keep right on doing that forever and ever." He smiled. Summer giggled softly.  
  
"Now, I like the sound of that." She whispered.  
  
"Me too." He replied. He lowered his lips to hers gently and enveloped them in a soft, but passion filled kiss. Footsteps were heard, but neither paid attention.  
  
"Ah, Jesus, what is it with all the kissing!" Came Shane's voice. Summer and Hunter separated. Hunter gave him an evil glare.  
  
"Do you have a problem?" Hunter growled. Summer put a hand on his arm.  
  
"Hunter..." She said. He backed off without being told. Summer tilted her head and looked at Shane.  
  
"Now what's your problem??" She asked Shane. He shrugged.  
  
"I guess I'm still bugged out about the whole Joey thing last night." he said. Summer looked at him again. His clothes were covered in soil, and leaves.  
  
"Dude... did you sleep outside last night?" Hunter asked. Shane nodded. "Why?" Hunter asked.  
  
"Because I feared that if I slept in the cave, Joey would murder me in my sleep." Shane replied.  
  
"I thought you guys were friends." Hunter said.  
  
"Yeah, little bit of advice-Never tell your friend you love them." Shane said.  
  
"You did what?" Hunter asked. Shane looked at him.  
  
"I told Joey that I loved her." He repeated. Hunter looked at Summer who just nodded.  
  
"I was standing right there when he said it." Summer said lazily.  
  
"I thought you loved Skyla." Hunter said.  
  
"Who's Skyla?" Summer asked.  
  
"I thought I did..But....I don't know...It's different with Joey. She's different. I don't know." Shane said.  
  
"Who's Skyla?" Summer asked again.  
  
"And how did Joey respond to your declaration of love?" Hunter asked.  
  
"Who's Skyla?" Summer asked.  
  
"She got pissed." Shane answered.  
  
"Who's Skyla?" Summer asked again.  
  
"She got pissed?" Hunter asked.  
  
"HEY!" Summer yelled.  
  
"What is it sweetie?" Hunter asked.  
  
"Who is Skyla?" Summer asked.  
  
"Yes she did get pissed." Shane replied to Hunter's question.  
  
"Well why?" he asked. Shane shrugged.  
  
"Beats me." He responded. By this time, Summer was extremely pissed off. Hunter had almost answered her question, but Shane had interrupted her again.  
  
"WHO THE FUCK IS THIS SKYLA CHICK!?" Summer screamed. Hunter had taken the brunt of it in his ear and promptly fell off the log and onto the ground. Shane plugged his ears and winced.  
  
"Could you be a little louder next time?" He asked. "I don't think the people in Hong Kong heard you." He told her. Summer glared at him. She went to get up to smack him, but her legs buckled beneath her and she crumpled to the ground in pain.  
  
"Summer!" Hunter exclaimed as he gathered her in his arms. "Are you OK?" He asked softly.  
  
"Yeah." Summer nodded. "Just know that I won't be doing that again."  
  
"Sorry, I shouldn't have made you get up." Shane said. Summer looked at him.  
  
"You're right, you shouldn't of... As I told Hunter before.... If I wasn't in so much pain, I'd smack you." She told Shane. He smiled and knelt beside her.  
  
"Hurt me now?" He suggested. Summer looked at Hunter.  
  
"Smack him please?" She asked. Hunter nodded and smacked Shane upside the head. Shane fell over slightly.  
  
"Ow." He said. Summer smiled and pecked Hunter on the cheek.  
  
"Thank you." She said sweetly. "Now, will someone please tell me about this Skyla chick?" She asked. Shane sighed.  
  
"OK." He said.  
  
()()  
  
A little while later, Shane had finished telling her about Skyla and the battelizer. Summer looked at him, tears in her eyes.  
  
"Oh, wow." She whispered. "I.... I had no idea...." Summer confessed. Shane sighed sadly.  
  
"It's ok..... I mean you really didn't have any idea." he replied. Summer nodded.  
  
"I'm so sorry...." She told him. Shane smiled sadly.  
  
"Thanks Summer." He said. Shane sighed. "I've never really loved someone in a romantic sense. And then, when I found Skyla..Or she found me the second time...I felt something. I felt like I had to protect her, because if she got hurt, I'd be hurt. And then, she died in my arms, I thought I'd never feel anything for anyone ever again..." Shane's voice trailed off.  
  
"And now Joey." Summer concluded for him.  
  
"Yeah." He said. "It's different. Plus, it came so unexpectedly. I mean, I started severely disliking her. And then, that day after I slapped her, when you made me talk to her..I don't know, seeing her with her defenses lowered and seeing her smile instead of smirk got to me." Summer smiled.  
  
"I can see that you feel something for her..." She said. Shane nodded.  
  
"I really think I'm in love with her." He said quietly. Summer gave a weak smile.  
  
"It's not that Joey's incapable of loving someone, or anyone like that... She just won't... She's afraid that if she gets to close to a male, he's only going to hurt her... Her theory stands strong for her friends too... After you had hit her, she and I had a huge fight, and she was convinced that I was going to have to break up with Hunter, one because I was a ranger, and two because she was afraid that if I fell deeper in love with him, he was going to break my heart." Summer told him. Hunter looked at her, shocked.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me this?" He asked. Summer shrugged.  
  
"I guess I didn't feel like I should. It would just create animosity between you and Joey. And even though I was furious with her at the time it happened, Joey's still like my sister and I still wanted to keep peace. You know?" Summer said.  
  
"Is that why you moved out?" Hunter asked. Summer nodded. Shane looked at Summer and Hunter.  
  
"You moved out?" He asked Summer, who nodded.  
  
"That's not even the worst part." She confessed. Hunter and Shane looked at her. She sighed.  
  
"When I was packing some of my stuff up, Larissa came into my room and we were talking.... And I basically told her, that if Joey didn't change her ways.... I was going to give up my morpher." Summer told them both quietly.  
  
"Holy crap." Both guys said at the same time. Summer laughed slightly.  
  
"But, she changed...Slightly. I mean, I guess she figured this was just a battle she wasn't going to win." Summer looked at Hunter. "There's no way I'm giving you up, not when we've found each other again." Hunter smiled softly and kissed her. Shane looked away.  
  
"Cut the P.D.A Please?!" Shane begged them. Summer giggled.  
  
"Sorry Shane..." She said. He smiled weakly.  
  
"Not big issue." He replied. He sighed. "I'm sorry, I guess I'm just upset about Joey." He said.  
  
"Understood." Summer said.  
  
"I mean, it wouldn't be so hard if I didn't think she might.."  
  
"Feel the same?" Hunter asked. Shane nodded.  
  
"She kissed me last night." Shane said. Hunter and Summer stared at him with wide eyes.  
  
"She what?" Summer asked. Shane nodded.  
  
"Yeah. She woke up last night after she had a nightmare about her mom and the guy who allegedly raped her. She went outside and I followed her. She was so upset. I comforted her, hugged her, and told her to just let it all out. A while later, she kind of stopped crying and looked at me. Then she kissed me. Maybe in my intense joy of kissing Joey, I forgot about everything. I gently pushed her back and ended up on top of her. I guess that freaked her out because she started crying again and told me to get off. I did, and tried to apologize but she wouldn't hear it. She tried to leave, but I wouldn't let her. I mean, it could be dangerous. And that's when she screamed and when you came up." Summer nodded.  
  
"Ok, I understand now why she said you were trying to put the moves on her..." Summer began. Shane could see the wheels turning in her head.  
  
"My intentions were not that!" He said defensively. Summer nodded.  
  
"I know that... but obviously, she didn't." Summer replied.  
  
"I had no intention of taking things that far. Even if I did, I would have stopped to make sure she wanted to take things that far. I'm not like the asshole who hurt her mother." Shane said, still feeling offended.  
  
"How am I supposed to know that?" Came a voice. Shane turned to see Joey standing there. "How am I supposed to know you're not just some guy who thinks with just his dick all the time?" She asked.  
  
"Because the very idea of hurting you is just...not possible." Shane said. Summer and Hunter watched them both. Summer tilted her head to look up at Hunter.  
  
"Lets go." She whispered. Hunter nodded and lifted her into his arms and snuck away to a nearby river. Joey looked at Shane.  
  
"I don't know what made me kiss you last night. OK? Maybe it was just me being upset, needing comfort, and you were there and my head just got fuzzy."  
  
"So, are you saying that when we kissed..You felt nothing?" Shane asked, feeling like his heart was hanging by a thread.  
  
"I felt like I was kissing someone who I thought was one of my good friends." Joey replied.  
  
"That doesn't answer the question." Shane said. Joey sighed.  
  
"What? You mean did I feel fireworks? Feel like I was on cloud nine?" She asked.  
  
"Well, yeah." Shane asked. Joey sighed.  
  
"I..I don't know..." Joey said. Shane blinked. His jaw hung slightly.  
  
"What kind of answer is that? Either you felt something, or you didn't." Shane said. Joey sat down on the log by him and covered her face in her hands. She sighed and looked up at him.  
  
"I don't know." She said softly. "This is all just....Everything these past few days is just so much. Like, sensory overload or something..I just can't think right now." Shane nodded.  
  
"Alright I can accept that answer." he said truthfully. Joey sighed.  
  
"Thank you." She said softly.  
  
"I'm sorry for getting on top of you last night." He said. "I didn't mean to scare you, just-"  
  
"Got caught up in the moment." Joey said. "I know. I guess I did too. But when we were in that position, I don't know, the images of my mother getting knocked down and her clothes ripped off her body just filled my head and I got scared." She said softly. Shane saw tears leaking down her cheeks. He reached over and gently took her hand in his.  
  
"I'm sorry." He whispered. Joey nodded.  
  
"Still friends, right?" She asked, smiling softly through her tears. Shane smiled.  
  
"Still friends." He said. He hugged her.  
  
))))))))))))))))))))))))(((((((((((((((((((  
  
Hunter set Summer down gently beside the water. She groaned as left Hunter's strong arms.  
  
"Like being in my arms?" He joked. Summer glared at him.  
  
"Again... if I wasn't in so much pain... I'd hurt you." She told him. Hunter smiled and stole a kiss from her. He took her smaller hand in his and squeezed it lovingly.  
  
"I've already asked this a thousand times before.... But are you ok?" he asked. Summer sighed and leaned her head against the rock wall.  
  
"To be honest.... no.... I'm in so much pain from my 'falls' that I literally want to die because I hurt so much." She whispered. Hunter looked at her.  
  
"I wish I could do something to take away the pain." He said. Summer looked at him.  
  
"I know you do. And if this was the other way around, I'd feel the same way." She said, smiling. Hunter kissed her temple.  
  
"I love you." He said.  
  
"I love you too." She said. "Come here, sit." She said. Hunter sat beside her. She rested her head in the crook of his neck.  
  
"When we get out of here, maybe Sensei can do some funky ninja healing on you." Hunter smiled.  
  
"Sensei Oramo? He's all right?" Summer asked. Hunter sighed.  
  
"Oh, no. Uh, Sensei Wattanbe..He's the Wind Ninja Academy Sensei. Oramo got taken."  
  
"Just like everyone else." Summer said. Hunter nodded. Summer sighed.  
  
"I should have been there when it happened." She said. Hunter tilted her head up to look at her.  
  
"Don't ever say that." He told her gently. Her eyebrows rose. Hunter sighed.  
  
"If you would have been there... you would have been taken too." He told her.  
  
"You must think like Larissa and Joey's moms. They kept the three of us hidden to keep us from being taken." She said. "How did you and Blake avoid getting taken?" She asked. Hunter sighed.  
  
"Uh, we didn't. We did get taken." He said. Summer blinked and stared at him.  
  
"Uh, come again?" She asked. Hunter sighed.  
  
"Sensei Oramo gave us the morphers right when we were being attacked. We tried to get away with him but he got taken, and so did we. Lothor found out we had the morphers, and I guess he thought he could use two rangers for his advantage." Hunter said.  
  
"Did Lothor brainwash you guys?" Summer asked.  
  
"Well, he did, but not at the moment. He told us he knew who killed our parents. Said it was Sensei Wattanbe. So, Blake and I agreed to help him get rid of the rangers, as long as we'd get to take care of their sensei." Summer stared at him in shock.  
  
"Oh." She said.  
  
"We fought a few times. And then we got a hold of the sensei and were about to kill him when we saw the ghosts of our parents. They told us who really killed them..It was Lothor." He said. Summer looked down.  
  
"Oh my god." She whispered. "I'm so sorry." She said.  
  
"It's OK." He said. "Anyway, after that, Blake and I felt like we needed time away. So we left. Then Chooboo contacted us, told us he wanted to help us get rid of Lothor."  
  
"Why would he say that? He's Lothor's lapdog."  
  
"He said he was tired of getting pushed around. Anyway, we went on the ship...It was a trick. An ambush. Blake and I were surrounded....Then we think he brainwashed us into thinking the others were our enemies, because next thing we remembered was seeing Dustin at the shop and wanting to beat him to a pulp." Hunter sighed. "We were fighting again and ended up getting teleported to an island..A lot like this one." He said. "Then Blake and I remembered everything, and everything seemed OK. Until Chooboo showed up and started trying to say Blake had betrayed me. At first I didn't believe it, but then I guess I got hit with another bit of brainwash because I attacked Blake."  
  
"Was he OK?" Summer asked.  
  
"Yeah. Shane, Dustin and Tori got him away from me before I could kill him or anything. Then Blake and I faced off again, and Blake got me to remember our past. Remember we were brothers, and that he'd never betray me." He said. Summer looked at him. She inched closer to him and kissed him. Hunter hesitantly kissed her back. Summer looked at him.  
  
"You're ashamed of all that?" She asked, but it sounded more like a statement. Hunter nodded.  
  
"Yeah, I am. I hate how I could've believed Lothor about my parents and everything." He said. Summer touched his shoulder.  
  
"It's perfectly all right. I mean, if I even had like just the mere suspect of the person who drove the car that caused my parents to swerve and crash, I'd go hunting them down myself. It's not something to be ashamed of. Your parents were killed. Lothor offered you a direction as to where to find the person who did that." She said. Hunter looked at her. He smiled.  
  
"Thanks." He said. Summer smiled and kissed his cheek.  
  
"Welcome." She said. Summer smiled and dipped her hand into the water and took a sip from her hand. She smiled contently as the water refreshed her. She dipped her hand into the water again and held it to Hunter's mouth.  
  
"Want some?" She asked. Hunter nodded and tipped her hand towards his mouth and drank the water. Summer smiled and snuggled close to him.  
  
"So, what now?" Hunter asked.  
  
"Now we sit here and bask in the silence and in each other's company while everyone works on getting us all off here." Summer grinned. Hunter chuckled.  
  
"I can deal with that." He said. Summer smiled and closed her eyes.  
  
"I love you so much." She told him. He kissed her hair and hugged her gently, but tightly.  
  
"I love you too." He replied.  
  
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Tori lay sleeping peacefully, not knowing what was going to happen to her. Blake flipped himself over and got a face full of Tori's chest. Tori's eyes shot open, and without thinking smacked his upside the head. Blake sat up.  
  
"I don't know if I deserved that." he said. Tori glared at him.  
  
"You practically burry your head in between my boobs and you expect me to be all cheery about it?!" Blake blushed.  
  
"Sorry." He said. "I didn't mean to, just kind of turned and."  
  
"OK, I get it." Tori said dismissively. She sat up and stretched a bit. "If it happens again, I'll be forced to kick your as thought." She said.  
  
"I'd never touch your boobs without your permission." Blake smirked. Tori looked at him.  
  
"When would I ever give you permission to touch my boobs?" She asked.  
  
"Oh dear god, please stop talking about your boobs!" Dustin wailed. Tori smacking Blake and such had woken him up. Tori laughed and Blake chuckled.  
  
"What Dustin? Don't you like boobs?" Tori joked. Dustin rolled his eyes.  
  
"Hey... I love boobs, as much as the next guy.... but when were talking about my best friends boobs.... it's just nasty!" Dustin cried.  
  
"Glad to think you find my girlfriend's boobs are gross. Keep it that way." Blake said, getting a little protective of Tori. Tori rolled her eyes.  
  
"Blake, you and jealousy don't mesh well." She said. "Remember last time? You got jealous of Cam and the two of you duked it out."  
  
"Yeah, but that was a spell." Blake said.  
  
"Yeah, and?" Tori asked. Blake blushed again.  
  
"Point taken." He murmured. Tori giggled. She looked over to see Cam and Larissa still sleeping peacefully wrapped in each other's embrace. She smiled at how cute they looked.  
  
"Aww look at Cam and Larissa." Tori said. Dustin and Blake looked over at the sleeping couple. Blake smiled softly, whereas Dustin made a disgusted sound and exited the cave.  
  
"He's just jealous." Blake said as he kissed Tori.  
  
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Summer and Hunter were talking quietly and didn't hear Dustin approach. He coughed and startled the couple.  
  
"Hey Dustin." Summer said sweetly. Dustin smiled. Hunter nodded. Dustin sighed. Hunter was still mad at him. But that was ok.  
  
"Hunter could I talk to you for a minute?" Dustin asked. Hunter nodded. Dustin looked at Summer.  
  
"Could you give us a minute?" He asked. Summer rolled her eyes.  
  
"Um, considering the fact that I fell off a cliff yesterday, and I tried to smack Shane this morning and I landed on my face...you two can leave." She said sarcastically. Dustin winced.  
  
"Sorry I forgot." He replied. Hunter gave Summer a kiss and stood up. He went with Dustin. Dustin and Hunter reached a small clearing and Hunter looked at Dustin.  
  
"Ok, so now that you've dragged me away from my girlfriend, who's in pretty bad shape...what can I do for you?" Hunter asked. Dustin sighed.  
  
"It's about Marah...." He began.  
  
"What about her? You don't still have feelings for her, do you?" Hunter asked. Dustin looked away. Hunter's eyes widened. "What? She's evil! She's Lothor's niece."  
  
"I know that." Dustin said. "It's just that..."  
  
"Just what?" Hunter asked.  
  
"She came to see me earlier. She said she didn't mean to use me, or us. Said she was just scared about being alone."  
  
"And you believed her?!" Hunter asked appalled.  
  
"I did." Dustin sighed. "But now..I don't know what to believe anymore." Hunter looked at him. His face softened.  
  
"Is this why you've been acting like a royal dick?" He asked.  
  
"Well, yeah. I guess." He said softly. Hunter nodded.  
  
"Would that also explain why you flipped out at me yesterday?" Hunter asked. Dustin nodded.  
  
"Yeah.... yeah I guess it was... Dude.... I'm sorry." Dustin said. Hunter nodded.  
  
"I know you are man.... but why'd you freak out on Summer?" Hunter asked. Dustin nodded.  
  
"I guess I was just jealous that she had somebody to love her and she loves them back...." Dustin began. Hunter nodded. "And because..... we'll I was being a royal jerk.... I still can't believe I caused her to fall off the cliff with me.... I feel so bad." Dustin whispered. Hunter clapped Dustin on the back.  
  
"It's OK. She's OK. A little banged up, but OK." Hunter said. "You're going to be OK. I mean, you'll get over Marah and everything will be fine." Dustin sighed.  
  
"I've been trying to get over her for months, and trust me, kissing her didn't help." Dustin said.  
  
"You guys kissed?" Hunter asked, shocked.  
  
"It just sort of happened." Dustin said. Hunter looked at him shocked.  
  
"And you didn't stop it?" He asked. Dustin shook his head.  
  
"I didn't want it to end." Dustin told him truthfully. Hunter whistled lowly.  
  
"Dude.... I ain't the best person to be talking to about this." Hunter told Dustin. Dustin sighed and nodded.  
  
"Well whom should I talk to then?" He asked. Hunter thought for a moment.  
  
"Either Tori, or Summer." Hunter told him. Dustin made a face.  
  
"Well, since I don't feel like spilling my guts to my best friend, Summer it is I guess." Dustin responded. "Mind if I do it alone?" He asked. Hunter nodded. Dustin walked over to Summer and sat down. She looked at him.  
  
"Hey." She said.  
  
"Hey." He replied. "I kind of need your input on something." He said. Summer looked at him, waiting to continue. Dustin took a deep breath and told her all about Marah. A little while later, he had finished with telling her about the latest encounter and his current unsure ness. Summer stared at him, waiting for him to be finish.  
  
"Is that it?" She asked.  
  
"Yeah." Dustin said. Summer looked down a second, as if she was trying to choose her words carefully.  
  
"Marah is Lothor's niece." Summer said. "She was there and helped when all the academies were abducted." Summer took a deep breath. "You're in love with her. Dustin, I'm sorry, but, I can't say anything that would help you."  
  
"What do you mean?" Dustin asked.  
  
"They took away Taheaira and Carmen. Those two were like my family after my parents passed away. And They are Larissa and Joey's moms. I can't just sit here and say it's OK to love her when I really don't think it is. I know that's not what you want to hear." Dustin stared at Summer.  
  
"That's not fair!" He growled. Summer looked at him.  
  
"And you call taking someone's family fair?" She retorted. Dustin snarled at her.  
  
"You know what? I take back being sorry about pushing off the cliff and hitting you... You're obviously a cold heart bitch, who's too wrapped up in her own life, to care about anybody else! Marah's changed.... And just because your too damn stuck up too see it, doesn't give you the right to think she's a bad person." He finished. Summer looked down, tears filling her eyes. She lifted her face up to him.  
  
"You know what, if you're so convinced she's changed then why the hell did you come here and ask me for advice? I'm just trying to look out for you, OK? You're saying Marah's betrayed you once, and for all we know this might be her handy work as well-"  
  
"It's not!" Dustin yelled.  
  
"-What's to say she won't do it again?!" Summer concluded. "We're friends Dustin, and you might think I'm stuck up, cold hearted and everything, but you're still my friend. Now, if you want to convince yourself that Marah's a friggen Angel, go right ahead, but don't expect anyone else around here to like it, or be comforting and such when she hurts you again, and trust me, she will."  
  
"You don't know that!" He snapped. Summer took a breath in, and let it out.  
  
"There's no need to get all bent out of sha-" She began.  
  
"Well why the fuck not? I mean you seem to think she's going to destroy the world!" Dustin cut her off rudely.  
  
"Because she's Lothor's niece!" Summer screeched back at him. Dustin lost his temper at that point and shoved Summer hard, into the river. When she surfaced she gave him the meanest look she could muster.  
  
"Your a fucking asshole.... your so lucky I can't walk... I'd kick your ass!" She yelled. Dustin snorted.  
  
"Whatever." he muttered as he walked away. Summer plopped herself back down in the river and let her tears that she had been holding in fall.  
  
"I can't believe he thinks I'm a cold heartless stuck up bitch." She sobbed. Hunter saw Dustin push her in the river and ran over to Dustin. He grabbed Dustin by his shirt.  
  
"What the hell is your problem?!" He growled. "What, you didn't think she had enough cuts and bruises so you decided to make more?" He shoved Dustin away and went over to Summer. "Summer? Baby? Are you OK?" He asked, pulling her out of the water and holding her close. Summer sobbed against his chest.  
  
"He..... He....." She sobbed even more. Hunter kissed her forehead and stroked her hair.  
  
"He what baby?" He asked. Summer sobbed harder. He was going to kill Dustin. Whatever he did obviously hurt Summer deeply.  
  
"He..... He called me a cold....... heartless....... stuck up......bitch." She sobbed harder. Hunter was awestruck. He didn't know what to say.  
  
"He's severely messed in the head." Hunter said. "I think that fall yesterday made him stupid...well, more then usual." Summer couldn't help smile a bit. Hunter smiled. "There we go. There's that beautiful smile I love." He said. He kissed her softly. Summer buried her face into the crook of his neck.  
  
"Do you think I'm all those things?" She asked quietly. Hunter pulled her away from him.  
  
"If I ever thought those things.... I'd hurt myself." He told her truthfully. He pulled her back closer to him. "Summer, you are the most warm hearted, kind, loving person I've ever known."  
  
"Dustin doesn't seem to think that." Summer said. "I just told him Marah was evil and-"  
  
"You told him what we've all been thinking but have been to timid to say." Hunter said. "You gave him the tough love he needed."  
  
"Well, all it got me was a shove in the river." Summer said.  
  
"Yeah, well, Dustin's not going to be surviving this island adventure if you catch my drift." Hunter said lowly, his anger at Dustin rising. Summer looked at Hunter.  
  
"Hunter.... you know I love you right?" She asked timidly. Hunter nodded.  
  
"Of course I do." he replied hugging her.  
  
"Then do me a favor?" She asked. Hunter kissed her slowly. "I'll take that as a yes?" She asked. Hunter smiled and nodded. "Don't hurt Dustin.... at least not yet." She told him. Hunter stared at her.  
  
"Summer, he's hurt you, not once, but twice." Hunter argued.  
  
"Yes. He's hurt ME. I want to be the one to get back at him...Once I am at the ability to do so." Summer grinned. "He'll never see it coming." Hunter laughed.  
  
"Ah, devious are you?" He asked.  
  
"But of course." Summer replied. Hunter smiled.  
  
"So...." He said. Summer nodded.  
  
"Now what do we do?" she asked.  
  
"How bout fight me?" Came a sinister voice from behind them. There stood Vexacus. Hunter jumped up to protect Summer.  
  
"What are you doing here, fish face?" Hunter demanded. Vexacus grinned evilly.  
  
"I'm going to destroy you both. Once and for all." He said. Summer snorted.  
  
"That's what you say every time." She smirked. Vexacus growled at her. He went to charge at them when a fireball hit him in the back, sending him sprawling on the sand. Hunter and Summer looked up to see Shane and Joey. Joey had her hand outstretched.  
  
"Back off." Joey snarled. Vexacus rose to his feet and turned to her. Joey looked at Shane. "You and Hunter get Summer out of here." She said. Shane looked at her.  
  
"Huh? What? No way." Shane said. Joey gave him a hard look.  
  
"Do it." She ordered. Shane sighed and went over to Summer and Hunter.  
  
Hunter lifted Summer gently onto his back. Shane took off running ahead of them.  
  
"Joey! Be careful!" Summer shouted. Joey went to yell at them to not attract attention to themselves, but it was too late. Vexacus sent a blast flying at Summer and Hunter, sending them both sprawling to the ground not moving.  
  
"NO!" Joey screamed. She ran at Vexacus and started punching and kicking him. "You bastard!" She screamed shrilly. Vexacus lifted her up and tossed her into some rocks.  
  
Joey slammed into the rocks and slumped to the ground unconscious.  
  
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Marah stood at the bridge of the ship, watching Vexacus attack them. Her heart ached for their suffering. She couldn't stand by and let Vexacus hurt them. They didn't have their powers. They were defenseless. It wasn't fair. Marah took a deep breath and pressed some buttons on the console.  
  
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"Joey!" Shane yelled. He tried to get at her as Vexacus slowly approached her. Joey slowly woke up, opening her eyes to see Vexacus standing over her.  
  
"Time to die, ranger." He said. He lifted his sword up and went to bring it down on her. Joey gasped and raised her arms up to her face. Suddenly Vexacus disappeared. Shane paused for a second. Joey blinked and slowly sat up. Shane ran over to her. He kneeled by her side.  
  
"Are you all right?" He asked. Joey nodded.  
  
"Yeah, I think so." She said softly. She looked over to Summer and Hunter who weren't moving. "Oh god." She said. She got up and ran over to them.  
  
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Vexacus appeared on the bridge. He growled. He turned to see Marah standing there. He stalked up to her and held his sword under her chin.  
  
"Why did you do that?" He snarled. Marah gulped.  
  
"I'm sorry..I was watching and I accidentally pressed a button.." She lied. Vexacus glared at her. He stepped back.  
  
"Stupid child." He growled as he walked out of the bridge. Marah watched him leave.  
  
"That's what you think." She muttered to herself.  
  
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Joey ran over and knelt beside Summer, who had landed a few feet from Hunter. Shane knelt beside Hunter who was slowly waking up. Hunter tired to sit up, but Shane pushed him back down.  
  
"Calm down man... You just got blasted." Shane told him. Hunter sighed but lay back down on the ground. Joey slowly flipped Summer's body over. She looked for signs of more injury, but there didn't seem to be much, except for a few cuts had reopened and were bleeding... Joey noticed something different. Joey's eyes went wide.  
  
"Shane!" She hissed. Shane walked over and knelt beside Joey.  
  
"Hmm?" He asked. Joey repressed a sob and quietly said.  
  
"I don't think Summer's breathing." She said. Hunter heard her and quickly got up, going to Summer's side.  
  
"Summer? Baby?" He asked. He shook her. Tears filled his eyes. "Summer, come on, wake up." He said. Joey touched Summer's neck. She felt nothing.  
  
"No.." She whispered. "Summer, don't you fucking do this to me." She ordered. "Wake up right now, I mean it!" Joey sobbed. She lowered her head as sobs overtook her. Suddenly she thought of something. She looked at Shane. "Go get Larissa." She said. Shane looked at her blankly.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Just do it." She said. Shane nodded and stood up. He took off towards the cave. Shane ran as fast as he could to the cave. He found Blake and Tori sitting there. Cam and Larissa were still asleep.  
  
"Larissa!" He yelled. Larissa jolted awake, as did Cam. The four of them looked at him.  
  
"What the hell?" Cam said. Shane paused to catch his breath.  
  
"By the river...Vexacus...Hit Summer and Hunter...Summer's not breathing." He panted. Everyone's eyes widened.  
  
The five of them soon ran back to where Shane said Summer, Joey and Hunter where. They found Hunter and Joey crying over Summer's body. Larissa screamed.  
  
"No!" She ran over to them and held Summer's hand. "Summer...Summer please wake up." She pleaded. "You promised..You promised you wouldn't leave." Joey looked at Larissa.  
  
"Ris." Joey said, touching her shoulder gently. "You remember how your mom was trying to teach you to tap into your powers?" She asked. Larissa blinked.  
  
"Joey, Summer's dead! This isn't a time to ask me about my powers!" Larissa shrieked through her tears.  
  
"Larissa. Her heart's stopped. What do they do in movies and shit when someone's heart stops? They give them an electric jolt to start it back up again." Joey said. Larissa stared at her.  
  
"I...I can't. I'm not skilled at it.."  
  
"Larissa, you have to try. You're Summer's only hope." Joey said, trying to stay calm the best she could. Larissa looked at Summer's lifeless body and nodded slowly.  
  
"OK..I'll try..." She whispered. She slowly let go of Summer's hand and placed them on her chest. She looked at Hunter. "I'd get back if I were you." She said. Hunter looked at her. He couldn't bring himself to move. Blake went over to his brother and gently pulled him away. Tori hugged Hunter. Joey stayed by Larissa.  
  
"OK, you can do this.Concentrate." Joey said. Larissa closed her eyes and tried, but thoughts of Summer being dead prevented her from concentrating.  
  
"I can't." She sobbed.  
  
"You have to." Joey insisted.  
  
"No, Joey, I can't. Mom only gave me a few lessons before she was taken.I can't do anything this major."  
  
"You have to do it." Joey said. "Do it for Summer, for your mom. Do it, now." Larissa took a deep breath and did her best to clear her mind. Slowly orange static of electricity surrounded her hands. Larissa sent the electricity into Summer's body. Her body jolted a bit, but remained still. Larissa bit her lip to keep from sobbing and tried again. Still nothing. "Try harder." Joey said softly. This had to work. Summer couldn't die. Summer was not allowed to die. Larissa took a deep cleansing breath, building up more energy inside her. She sent the energy to Summer, still nothing.  
  
"Goddamnit Summer, wake up!" Larissa screamed. Suddenly, a electric ring surrounded Larissa and Summer, sending Joey sprawling back a bit. Joey sat up to see Larissa tapping into a whole new level of power. It seemed to come out of every orifice of her body, making her hair stand on end. Summer's eyes shot open and she gasped a lungful of air. The electricity disappeared. Larissa's eyes drifted shut and she fell onto the sand. Summer coughed as she in took air rapidly. Hunter immediality knelt beside her.  
  
"Are you alright?" He asked gently. Summer took in deep breaths and slowly returned her breathing to normal.  
  
"I've been a lot better... What happened?" She asked. Hunter looked at the others.  
  
"Sweetie..... you died....." he told her. Summer's eyes went wide.  
  
"Pardon me?" She squeaked. Hunter nodded.  
  
"Larissa was able to use her powers to shock you back." Tori told her. Summer's eyes darted around.  
  
"Where's Larissa?" She asked. Cam lifted Larissa up gently and leaned her against his chest.  
  
"Right here.... She's just asleep." He told them. Everyone let out a collective sigh at once. Joey went over and hugged Summer tightly.  
  
"Don't you ever die again, understood?" She demanded. Summer coughed.  
  
"Uh..Jo..That might not be possible if you keep choking me." Summer said. Joey let her go. Summer laughed softly.  
  
"Sorry." She said. Summer smiled.  
  
"It's ok....and I promise not to die again." Summer smiled. Larissa groaned softly as she awoke.  
  
"Someone get the license plate of that truck that hit me?" She asked. Joey went over and hugged her.  
  
"You OK?" She asked.  
  
"Uh huh, just..Out of it." Larissa murmured. Larissa looked over in Summer's direction.  
  
"Well, looks as if the dead... lives." She muttered. Summer gave a lopsided smile.  
  
"Thanks Rissa." She said.  
  
"Thank Joey. She wouldn't let me give up. I think if she had a gun, she would've held it to my head." Larissa smiled. Summer laughed softly. Joey grinned.  
  
"Yeah, I'm a slave driver." She said. "But, seriously, you're the one who tapped into that power, not me. The credit is all yours." Joey said. "How did you do that anyway?" She asked. Larissa shrugged.  
  
"I don't know...It just..Happened." She said. Joey nodded thoughtfully.  
  
"Well it's a damn good thing it did just 'Happen.'" Joey said. Larissa smiled. Hunter nodded in agreement, looking at Summer.  
  
"Yeah." He said. Summer looked at him.  
  
"Are you OK?" She asked. Hunter smiled softly and pulled her close, kissing her forehead.  
  
"I am now." He whispered. Blake looked around the group.  
  
"Where's Dustin?" He asked. Hunter growled lowly and Summer's eyes clouded over angrily.  
  
"Who cares." She grumbled. Everyone looked at her.  
  
"I though you'd forgiven him for yesterday?" Tori asked. Summer looked at Tori.  
  
"I had, but that was before he shoved me into the river." She responded.  
  
"He did what?" Tori asked.  
  
"He talked to me about his love for evil chick and asked for advice. Apparently that really means 'tell me exactly what I want to hear, not what you think'. I told him Marah betrayed him once and who's to say she wouldn't do it again and he got mad. I didn't mean to say it sounding cold hearted or anything, I was just trying to get him to realize that he could get hurt." Summer said. Everyone looked at her, so she continued.  
  
"Then he proceeded to call me a cold-hearted stuck up bitch, and then shoved me into the river." Summer concluded.  
  
"God." Shane breathed out.  
  
"OK, yesterday was like not grounds to kill him because he was pissed and like he just got out of hand. But now this?" Tori said. "I say we track him down and hurt him badly."  
  
"Don't tempt me." Both Hunter and Joey said at the same time. Hunter and Joey looked at each other and chuckled.  
  
"Nobody's hurting him, until I'm better.... and I have first dibbs." Summer told the group.  
  
"Will you at least promise to leave enough of him for me to hurt?" Hunter asked.  
  
"I'll try, but I can't promise anything." Summer smiled. Hunter nodded and smiled.  
  
"I can live with that." He said. Summer smiled.  
  
"Ok, so now what?" She asked everyone, who collectively shrugged. Rolling her eyes she laughed.  
  
()()(((((((((()))))))))))))))))))))))((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((()))) ))))))))))))))))))))))))))))((((  
  
Dustin walked along the riverbank kicking stones as he went. He was still upset about Summer speaking her mind about Marah, but he was more upset that he had shoved Summer into the river.  
  
"Stupid, stupid me." He whispered to himself quietly. He didn't notice the shadow slip behind him.  
  
"Gee, look, it's the pathetic yellow ranger." sneered the voice of Kapri. Dustin swung around and glared at her.  
  
"What do you want?" He growled.  
  
"Just wanted to see how you and your friends were." Kapri said innocently. "Having fun?" She asked.  
  
"Oh totally." He snarled. "I mean, I try to kill one of my best friends girlfriend, twice and they all want my head on my stick... I'd say I'm having a fucking blast!" he finished. Kapri giggled.  
  
"I can change that for you... if you'd like..." She said. Dustin looked at her.  
  
"Oh? And what would that be?" he asked. Kapri smirked. She pulled out a tube of lipstick and squeezed it. Out shot a thin spray hitting Dustin and covering him.  
  
"I'm going to make you evil.... and then you'll rid my uncle of your pathetic friends." She told him. 


	20. Homecomming

Hunter carried Summer back to the cave. Cam helped her walk to the cave. They all decided that Larissa and Summer needed some rest. Larissa was feeling different...She looked different to Joey. As if when she tapped into that huge amount of power, she unleashed something. Joey decided to not bring it up at the moment, just watch her closely. They all were mere inches from the entrance of the cave when suddenly Larissa's legs gave out from under her. She fell to her knees with a cry of pain, holding her head. "Larissa?" Cam asked softly, kneeling beside her. Joey, Shane, Blake and Tori did the same. Joey placed her hand on Larissa's shoulder. "What's wrong?" She asked.  
  
"It's.... Dustin...He's in....Trouble...." Larissa said softly.   
  
"I...Something feels...Bad..." Everyone looked at one another, then back at Larissa. "How..." Tori asked.   
  
"Looks like the power of lightening isn't the only thing she got from Taheaira." Joey said softly. She stood up.   
  
"I'll go find him." Joey said. Summer looked at her. "Jo-" "Don't worry," Joey said.   
  
"I know you want first dibs on him." Joey smiled. "Do you want me to come with you?" Shane asked. "No, it's OK." Joey said.   
  
"I'll be back in a bit." She said as she left. Hunter set Summer down on the ground and knelt beside her. Summer smiled weakly, trying to ignore the pain. Hunter tucked some fallen strands of hair, behind her ear and smiled gently back at her.  
  
"Thanks." She murmured. Hunter smiled and kissed her gently.  
  
"Anytime beautiful." He replied.  
  
))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))(((((((((((((((((((((  
  
Joey walked along the woods of the island.  
  
"Dustin?" She called out. "Dustin, come on, where are you?" She asked. She sighed.   
  
"Look, if it makes you feel any better, Summer's declared that Hunter, me, or anyone else can't touch you, at least not until she gets a whack at you." Joey smirked.   
  
"And she will." She muttered.  
  
"Oh look, another Ranger has lost their way." Came Kapri's voice as she stepped out from behind a tree. Joey blinked and instantly got into a fighting stance.  
  
"Oh look, my favorite evil pink haired freak." Joey replied. Kapri smiled evily. Joey looked at her.   
  
"What do you mean ano..." She paused.   
  
"What did you do with Dustin?" Kapri simply laughed and stepped to the side. Joey gasped as she saw Dustin motionless body lying on the ground. He had a bruise on his forehead. Joey went over to his side.   
  
"Dustin?" She said, shaking his shoulder. Nothing.   
  
"Dustin, come on, wake up." She said. Dustin's eyes fluttered open. He looked up at her.  
  
"Jo?" He asked, unsurely. Joey nodded. She helped him sit up. Dustin put his arms on her shoulders. Joey stood up and helped him up.  
  
"Come on, let's get you out of-Ahh!" Joey gasped as she felt Dustin grab her and roughly slam her against a tree.   
  
"Dustin, what the hell!" She screamed. Dustin pressed up against her. Joey began to panic. Was he going to do to her what her "father" did to her mother? Dustin put his legs between hers and wrapped his hands around her neck. He had his legs there to keep her from kicking him where it hurt. Joey tried to push him away. Dustin didn't budge. His grip around her neck tightened, nearly crushing her windpipe. Joey franticly scratched at his hands. She could see that she was drawing blood on his hands, but he didn't seem to care. He kept choking her and sneering down at her menacingly.   
  
"You're probably wondering what's going on." Kapri said with a smirk.   
  
"It's quite simple, your yellow friend is under my control." Joey continued to scratch at Dustin's arms, and could feel herself losing consciousness from lack of oxygen. Joey's head finally slumped forward and her arms became limp at her side. Kapri smiled evilly. Dustin smirked and threw Joey to the ground. Kapri stood over her and took out a miniature sword from her pocket and placed it on Joey's forehead, and in between her eyes. She muttered a few choice words and the sword sunk into Joey's head. Her eyes reopened and were blood red. Kapri giggled and stood up fully. She looked at Joey who was still lying there.  
  
"Get up." Kapri commanded. Joey stood up and beside Dustin.  
  
"Excellent." Kapri smirked.  
  
"When darkness falls tonight.... your friends will all be separated, and one by one, you shall kill them." She told the now evil rangers who nodded.  
  
((((((((((((((((((((((()))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))(((((((((( (((((((((((((((((((((( "No." Marah whispered, tears filling her eyes. Kapri had tainted the one she loved. He was evil. She thought maybe that Joey could help him, save him, but when he started choking her, she got even more frightened. Even if Dustin broke out of the spell, the grips of killing someone would never loosen, he'd wish for death himself. And then Kapri turned her evil as well. There had to be something she could do.........But that?  
  
)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((())))))))) ))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Larissa screamed, clutching her head. Cam held her close. "What's going on?" Tori asked worriedly.  
  
"Joey...She............AHH...So much pain...She's scared...She can't breath...She...." Larissa rambled. Shane's eyebrows shot up. "What? What about Joey?" He asked desperately. Then suddenly Larissa stopped moving. She was limp in Cam's arms, her breath ragged.   
  
"Larissa." Shane asked. "I.........I can't...Everything's..........Black...Red...I don't...Know." Larissa said. "She's...dead?" Summer asked, tears threatening to fall. "I don't know." Larissa said. Summer forced herself to her feet and wobbled around before regaining her balance.  
  
"Where is she?" Summer asked. Larissa blinked back threatening tears.  
  
"Somewhere.... I'm getting mixed signals of where she and Dustin might be." Larissa responded. Summer looked around the group and took charge.  
  
"Alright.... Blake, Tori, Cam and Larissa, you go and try to track down Dustin. Hunter, Shane and I will track down Joey." Summer told them. They nodded and set out from the cave. (((((((((((((()))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( (((((((((((((((((((((()))))))))))))))))))))))))))) "Where is she......" Shane asked desperately. He, Summer and Hunter were searching for Joey. He was panicked. "It's getting dark." Hunter said. Shane spun around to him.  
  
"I don't care!" Shane yelled. Hunter stepped back. Summer stepped between them. "Stop." She said.   
  
"Look, we're not going to stop looking for her. She could be in trouble or...." Summer didn't even want to think of the "or".   
  
"We're not stopping." "I'm not saying we should." Hunter said.   
  
"I'm just saying it's going to be harder in the dead of night and we should find her soon."  
  
"Find who?" Came a voice. They all spun to see Joey walking over to them calmly.   
  
"Everything OK?" She asked. Shane and Summer ran up to her and pulled her into a bone crushing group hug. "Are you OK?" Summer asked. "Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Joey asked.   
  
"Larissa, she-" Shane began. "Larissa's having problems." Joey said.   
  
"You know how she is, Sum. She gets crazy under stress." Joey walked past them. Summer, Shane and Hunter looked at each other. Something was wrong. Joey would never talk about Larissa so flippantly. "Uh, no, Jo...Larissa, all of us, were really worried about you." Summer said.   
  
"Have you seen Dustin?"  
  
"No." Joey said.   
  
"He's probably just cooling off, I mean, Summer you did get him pretty steamed." Joey said. Shane walked up to her and looked at her. "All right, who are you and what have you done with Josephina?" He asked.   
  
"A little while ago you were ready to murder Dustin and everything." Joey looked at him. A slow smile crept on her face.   
  
"Well, why would I do that? Dustin's not the enemy. You are." She said. And with that, she kicked him in the gut, knocking him to the ground. "Oomph!" Shane cried as the wind was knocked out of him. Summer and Hunter looked at Shane.  
  
"Joey, what's going-" Summer began. Joey looked at them. Her eyes were glowing red. Summer gasped. Hunter stepped in front of Summer, ready to protect her. Summer placed a hand on Hunter's shoulder.  
  
"We need to split up in order to beat her... let me create a distraction for her, you grab Shane and follow Joey from a safe distance ok?" Summer asked. Hunter looked at her with titled eyes, still focused on Joey.  
  
"How about I create the distraction?" He asked. Summer shook her head.  
  
"No.... I know for a fact that Joey is more likely to come after me.... Trust me." Summer told him. Hunter cursed under his breath.  
  
"Your still hurt." He said. Summer sighed.  
  
"Nothing I haven't dealt with before... I'll be fine.... I love you." She said. She kissed his cheek and ran out from behind him, her legs still a little shaky.  
  
"Hey Joey!!!!" Summer called waving her arms over her head. Joey looked at Summer and snarled. Summer cursed herself, and took off running down the mountainside. Joey flew past Hunter and chased after Summer. Hunter dashed over to Shane and helped him up.  
  
"We have to follow them closely." Hunter said. Shane nodded and they ran after the girls. Summer ran as far and fast as she could. Her legs were killing her, but she had to keep running. Joey bounded after her. Summer's legs felt like they were on fire. She yelped as she fell down. Joey caught up to her. "Aw, did Pinkie fall down and hurt herself?" She asked. Summer looked at her. "Joey, I don't know what happened to you, but this isn't you..." Summer said. Joey grinned.  
  
"Oh, keep begging for your life Sum, it makes it all so much more exciting." She said. She slowly walked closer to Summer. Summer tried to move away. "Summer!" Hunter yelled as he and Shane got there. Joey spun to face them. "Aw look, the boyfriend and the pathetic loser to the rescue, how touching." She sneered. She held her hand down at her side. The two boys watched as a small ball of fire formed in her hand. Shane looked at Hunter.   
  
"You get Summer, I'll keep her busy." He said. "You sure?" Hunter asked. Shane nodded. Hunter darted to the side and dodged a flying fireball that erupted from Joey's hand. Shane ran around the other side, and as Hunter came closer to Summer, Shane tackled Joey around and waist and brought her to the ground. She kicked Shane and pushed herself into a sitting position. Shane ducked out of the way and rolled away. Joey got up and surged after him. He darted up the hill and Joey trailed him. Hunter skidded to a stop beside Summer. He dropped to his knees and looked at his girlfriend, whose eyes were wide with fear.  
  
"You ok?" He asked. Summer looked at him, her entire body shaking.  
  
"My legs gave out... I think I've got pinched nerves in them... and Joey tried to kill me... I'm fucking peachy." She told him. Hunter chuckled and hugged her.  
  
"Well.... your ok for the most part, and that's all that matters." he told her truthfully. Summer smiled. Shane ran over to a tree. Joey was right behind him. He jumped up and walked up the tree, jumping behind Joey. He grabbed her over her arms, pinning them to her side. Joey screamed like a wild animal, struggling.  
  
"Joey, I know that something or someone is making you do this...You've got to break out of it!" Shane said. Joey continued struggling. She suddenly gave out a pained scream and fell, pulling Shane with her. Shane was sitting, holding her against him. He felt the skin under his arm heating up.   
  
"Aw crap, not now." Joey was sweating, turning pale and everything. Even though she was currently trying to kill him, Shane had to help her. He focused his ninja energies and used his Air Ninja powers to bring on a cool breeze. ~~~~~~~~~~~Joey's Dream~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Joey looked around. She was in the dark room again; Shane was standing in front of her, again, touching her, again. The room started to spin, she felt different. ~~~~~~~~~~~Real~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Joey gasped as her eyes snapped open. Shane looked at her. Her eyes held fear, pain, and confusion. "Shane?" She choked out. Shane looked at her and hugged her tightly.  
  
"Your back." He said. Joey nodded and whimpered as another wave of an attack hit her.  
  
"Hold on Jo.. Your gonna be fine." He whispered gently into her ear. Joey nodded through her tears.  
  
))))((((  
  
Hunter helped Summer to her feet and she took a step forward and cried out in pain.  
  
"It hurts so much.." She cried. Hunter hugged her tightly.  
  
"What's wrong?" He asked. Summer looked at him.  
  
"My legs. It's like a constant muscle spasm. I can't walk." She sobbed into her hands. Hunter looked at her legs and gently massaged her thighs, calves, knees, everything. Summer looked at him. Surprisingly, the pain lessened.   
  
"How.......What......" She asked, surprised. "Days and days of endless training, you learn to do something about those craps from miles and miles of jogging." He smiled. Summer smiled. ())))))))))))))))))))))))))))(((((((((((((((  
  
Joey was in Shane's arms. He was making the wind hit her full on. It was slowly working. Shane had slid his hand in hers, and she would squeeze it whenever a attack hit, he was seeing that the squeezes were beginning to be few and far between. Joey couldn't believe this...It was as if her dream was true. Shane was helping her cool off. He was filling her with cool breezes. Joey paused as she realized something. "Dustin...He..." She said as she tried to sit up. Shane held her close. "Shh, shh, just relax right now." He whispered softly. "Did I hurt anyone?" She asked, afraid of the answer.  
  
"You knocked me down, chased Summer, but that's all." He said. "Are you?" She was cut off by an attack. "I'm OK, Summer's OK. Hunter's with her." He said. Joey let out a shaky breath.  
  
"Well at least I didn't hurt anyone." She commented. Shane smiled.  
  
))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((9  
  
Cam, Tori, Blake, and Larissa stumbled through the thickly wooded area.  
  
"I wonder if they found Joey." Tori wondered out loud, rubbing her arms. Blake put his arms around her. Cam looked at Larissa. "Are you getting anything?" He asked. Larissa took a deep breath. "I'm feeling...Ease..." She said softly.   
  
"I think she had an attack...And now it's passing."  
  
"Well, that's good right?" Blake asked.   
  
"It means she's not dead." Larissa nodded. ())))))))))))))((((((((((((((((((((((((((()))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) )))))))))))))))))))))))))()))))))))))))))) After a while, Joey's episode passed. Shane helped her to her feet. Joey didn't wait for him as she took off for Summer. Summer and Hunter saw her coming. "She's coming......Without Shane....." Summer muttered. Hunter stood up quickly, protecting her. Joey got there. "Summer, are you OK?" She asked, worriedly. Summer stared at her closely. "Is it really you?" She asked skeptically.  
  
"It is." Shane said as he ran up to them.   
  
"She had another attack, and it must have broken her out of whatever it was she was in." He said. Summer let out a sigh of relief. Joey went over and hugged her gently. "We were worried about you. What happened?" Summer asked. Joey sighed.  
  
"I was looking for Dustin, and I found Kapri. Then, I saw Dustin...He was lying on the ground. I thought he was dead or...I don't know...So I went over to him and everything. He woke up and I tried helping him up to his feet and then...He pushed me against a tree and..." Shane's fist clenched.  
  
"What did he do?" He asked. Joey took a deep breath and pushed her hair aside to reveal her neck. There was a red mark on it, as if she had been strangled. "And then I passed out, and Kapri did something to me...She made me...Evil..." "And she made Dustin evil too?" Hunter asked. Joey nodded.  
  
"The others are looking for him, we better warn them before he hurts them." Summer said. ()))))))))))))))((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))))))) ))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))()()()( Cam, Tori, Blake and Larissa were walking around when they heard bushes rustling. They stepped back, wondering whom it was. Soon Hunter, Summer, Joey and Shane came out.  
  
"Joey!" Larissa yelled as she went over and hugged her. Joey hugged her back.   
  
"Are you OK?" "Yeah." Joey said. "Well, none of you will be soon." Came Kapri's voice. They turned to see her standing with Dustin.  
  
"Dude, there you are," Blake said. "Careful, Kapri's got him under some sort of spell." Joey said. "Got that right." Kapri sneered. "Give the girl a prize." Dustin said. "Dustin?" Tori asked. Dustin sneered at Tori and sent some sort of flying projectile at her. She dove out of the way.  
  
"Holy hell Dustin.. Snap out of it!" Hunter said. Dustin turned and sneered at Summer and Hunter. Dustin approached them cautiously and Kapri kept the others busy with Kalzacks. Summer's back hit a tree and she stopped. She looked at Hunter.  
  
"Distraction?" Summer muttered. Hunter nodded. Summer dove to the left, and Hunter dove to the right. Dustin sent a blast flying at Hunter. The ground in front of him exploded and Hunter flipped over and began rolling and bouncing down the hill. He tried to grab onto something but it wasn't working. The bottom half of his body finally came to a stop, but he was holding onto the side of the cliff, and dangling over a lake. Summer saw this and stood up. She couldn't believe it. Dustin was trying to kill Hunter this time.  
  
"No more nice Lady Thunder." She growled. Summer ran at Dustin, kicking and punching. Dustin blocked and then began attacking her. He was moving to fast and Summer couldn't block. He then wrapped his hands around her neck. "Summer." Hunter yelled. He tried climbing back up to help her. Joey knocked down a Kalzack and saw Summer and Dustin.  
  
"Hang on!" She yelled. She flipped her way over to Dustin and grabbed him around the neck from behind in a tight headlock, causing him to release Summer. Summer fell back, coughing.   
  
"How do you like being on the receiving end, buddy?" Joey yelled, holding him. Summer went over to Hunter and pulled him up.  
  
"You OK?" Hunter asked. Summer nodded. Dustin ran back and slammed Joey's back against a tree. Joey cried out and fell down. Hunter and Summer jumped up and went at him. The others got rid of the Kalzacks. Dustin went back over to Kapri. Summer helped Joey up to her feet and the others came over to them.  
  
"Ready to die, Rangers?" Kapri sneered. Suddenly, her eyes rolled back and she fell, unconscious. The others stood surprised as they saw someone wearing a purple hooded robe standing behind her holding a branch. Dustin turned to the person. "Big mistake." He said. He went and began attacking the person. They blocked and kicked him in the knees. He fell back. The others stared at the person.  
  
"Who...Who are you?" Tori asked. The person looked at her and pulled back the hood. It was Marah. "You?!" Summer exclaimed. Dustin rose to his feet. Marah turned to him, staring him in the eyes. "Dustin...Don't do this...You're under Kapri's control. You don't want to hurt your friends." She said.  
  
"That's what you think." Dustin growled as he tried to punch her. Marah grabbed his arm and pulled him to a tree. She pressed against him. Dustin struggled. Marah grabbed his face and crushed her lips against his. They shared a long, slow passionate kiss. Marah pulled back. Dustin's eyes flashed red then went to normal. He groaned as he slid to the ground. "Ah.... My head..." He said. Marah kneeled beside him. Dustin looked at her. "Mar....What are you doing here?" He asked. "She saved you.." Cam said, surprised. Marah looked up at them. "I couldn't let Kapri do this...Couldn't let her use Dustin this way." She said. Summer looked down.  
  
"You love him." She said. "Yes...I do." She said. Everyone felt all kinds of stupid right then. "We thought..." Blake began.  
  
"I know." She said.   
  
"And I wouldn't exactly blame you all for it either. I know that my behavior didn't exactly give you all room to consider that." She looked down.   
  
"I am ashamed of what I've done." Dustin placed a hand on her cheek and made her look at him. "You're here now, that's all that matters." He said. Marah blinked. She stood up. "I have to go." She said softly.   
  
"I have to leave before Kapri wakes up."  
  
"Where will you go?" Larissa asked. "Back to the ship." "What? Why?" Dustin asked. Marah looked at him, sighing painfully.  
  
"I can't...It's. Hard to explain...Lothor and Kapri are all the family I have...I can't leave...At least not yet." She said. She disappeared, taking Kapri with her. Dustin looked down. "I...I'm sorry." Summer said.   
  
"I was wrong about Marah." Dustin stood up. He sighed. "Forget it, it's OK." He said. Hunter coughed. Dustin looked at him.  
  
"What?" He asked. Hunter glared at him. Summer put her hand on his arm.  
  
"Don't Hunter.. It's not important anymore." Summer told him gently. Hunter backed off but continued to glare at Dustin. Dustin knew what Hunter had been hinting at. But he wasn't going to apologize yet.  
  
"Rangers? Are you there?" Came a voice on Cam's communicator. Everyone looked at him shocked. "Marah must've removed the block in our systems." Cam said. "That's good, right?" Joey asked. Cam nodded. He brought it to his mouth. "Yeah, dad, we're here, and all right, and, well, we have some new friends." Cam said. "The three mysterious rangers, I presume." Sensei said. "Yeah." Cam said. Sensei smiled.  
  
"I will be teleporting you momentarily. do you have everything you need?" Sensei asked. The teens nodded at Cam.  
  
"Yes dad, we do." Cam replied. Sensei nodded and jumped onto another button.  
  
"Teleporting now." He said. All at once the 9 teens disappeared in streaks of yellow, orange, green, crimson, navy, red, pink, blue and black. They re- materialized on the floor of Ninja Ops. Summer, Joey and Larissa, who had never been teleported before landed painfully on the floor, whereas the other rangers only stumbled before regaining their composure. Hunter lifted Summer into a standing position and she leaned against him. Cam held his hand out to Larissa, who took it eagerly and Joey stood on her own without and help.  
  
"Whoa." Summer said, looking around the room. "Welcome, friends," Sensei said. Joey, Larissa and Summer looked over at him. "Uh...This might be me being delusional, but did that hamster just talk?" Joey asked. "If you are delusional, then so am I, cause I think it did." Larissa said.  
  
"A. He's a guinea pig, b. he's my dad." Cam said. Joey looked at Cam, then at Larissa. "Lar, you're dating the son of a guinea pig.." She said. "He's human." Shane said.   
  
"He's just...trapped in a guinea pig's body right now." Summer looked at Sensei and giggled.  
  
"He' so adorable." She commented. Hunter looked at her strangely.  
  
"Did you just call Sensei. adorable?" He asked. Summer nodded.  
  
"Guinea pig's are so adorable. and since your Sensei is a guinea pig. he's adorable." She said. Hunter looked at her again.  
  
"I have one weird girlfriend." He commented. He was the rewarded for his comment by being smacked upside the head.  
  
"I resent being called weird." Summer told him. Hunter grinned.  
  
"If the shoe fits.." He began. Summer turned and glared at him.  
  
"If the shoe fits. you won't be able to make children." She told him, smiling smugly. Hunter's face paled.  
  
"I'm going to retract that previous statement then." He said. Summer grinned.  
  
"Smart move." She said. Sensei smiled at the two. He then looked at Joey and froze. "Dad?" Cam asked. Sensei shook his head. "I'm sorry, I just..." He looked at Joey.   
  
"You remind me of someone...A ninja student I knew when I was a student...She was from another academy. She then became one of the sensei-"  
  
"Carmen Sanchez is my mother." Joey said. Sensei blinked. "Oh, I didn't know she married." Sensei said. "She didn't." Joey said in a tone that said she didn't want to talk about it anymore. Sensei looked at Larissa. "You must be Taheaira's child." He said.  
  
"I...How'd you know?" She asked. "Your mother and I were friends when we were younger. We sometimes kept in contact and she told me she had a daughter who she just knew one day would step up to be a holder of great power." He said. Larissa blushed at hearing her mother had talked about her like that. Sensei then turned and looked at Summer.  
  
"And you." He began. Summer smiled weakly.  
  
"Not much about me.." She said. Sensei smiled.  
  
"Lady thunder, I presume." He said.   
  
"All the Sensei's knew the prophecy of a woman wielding the thunder power." He smiled.   
  
"But we always thought it was just a myth." "Wow, you're a prophecy." Hunter smirked. "Go Summer." Shane laughed. Summer blushed.  
  
"Sensei Oramo told me about that. Before I left." Summer admitted. Sensei smiled.  
  
"Well it's wonderful to be in the presence of a prophecy." Sensei commented. Larissa walked up, admiring the tech stuff. "Wow, this is all incredible." She said. She accidentally pressed a button, suddenly Cyber Cam appeared in front of her. Larissa jumped back, shocked. "Cam?" She looked back at Cam.   
  
"And Cam...What the..." Cam and Cyber Cam smiled and looked at Larissa.  
  
"Larissa meet Cyber Cam, a creation of my own to run Ninja Ops. Cyber Cam, meet Larissa Lekika, my girlfriend." Cam introduced the pair. Larissa shook Cyber Cam's hand.  
  
"Nice to meet you." She said politely. Cyber Cam nodded.  
  
"Werd." He said.  
  
"Cam's got fine taste in hunnies." Cyber Cam said. He lifted Larissa's hand to his lips. Larissa pulled it away. "Cyber Cam, knock it off." Cam said. Cyber Cam smiled and stepped back. "No fowl, no fowl, just appreciating the beautious babe." He said, winking at Larissa.  
  
"Don't worry," Shane said. "He's supposed to be the exact opposite of Cam." He said. Larissa sighed with relief. "Thank god." She smiled. Everyone laughed.  
  
"At least I won't get them mixed up." Larissa commented. Cam smiled. Cyber Cam smirked.  
  
"Well yah kno. if Cam ever does anythin' I got Yo back." He said, sweetly. Larissa smiled.  
  
"That's sweet Cyber Cam. but it's not going to happen." She responded. Cyber Cam looked down sadly.  
  
"Shot down again." He muttered walking away. Cam walked over to Larissa. "Well, I guess I did make him smart." Cam said. Larissa looked at him. "What do you mean?" She asked. "Well, he thought you were incredible, so, he's obviously not retarded." He smiled. Larissa blushed. Sensei cleared his throat. Cam looked down.   
  
"Sorry dad." He said. Sensei nodded.  
  
"I've noticed that some of our new rangers, as well as others, have some battle injuries, and I would like for them to be taken care of." Sensei told Cam, who nodded.  
  
"Summer, Dustin and Joey, come with me." Cam said. The three nodded and set off after Cam, but were stopped by Sensei's command.  
  
"I would like to speak with Dustin alone, before you take a look at his injuries Cameron." Sensei said. Cam nodded and shooed Dustin towards his father. Tori, Hunter, Blake, Shane, and Larissa vacated outside Ninja Ops and waited for Sensei to finish with Dustin.  
  
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"Is Dustin going to be OK?" Larissa wondered out loud as they all got outside. "Don't know, don't care." Hunter said. "Hunter." Blake said sternly. "What? He made my girlfriend fall of a cliff, threw her in a river and tried to strangle her." Hunter said. "He's been through a lot." Tori reasoned. "And Summer hasn't?" Hunter said. "Look, you guys are a team, you have to stick together." Larissa said. "Yeah, well, Dustin's not exactly a team player." Hunter grumbled.  
  
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Joey and Summer followed Cam into the back room in Ninja Ops, and stopped, waiting for Cam to give them more directions. He turned around and looked at them.  
  
"Joey lay down on that table, Summer on this one." Cam said. Both girls nodded and plopped themselves down on the tables. Cam ran a scanner over Joey's body. "Dustin nearly crushed your windpipe." Cam said. "Really? Didn't notice." Joey replied sarcastically. Cam laughed. He shot some beams at her neck, fixing the damage. Joey felt it get better.   
  
"Whoa." She said. Cam's brows then furrowed as the scanner got a weird reading. "That's weird." He said.  
  
"What?" Joey asked. "It-" He began to say, suddenly the scanner sparked and grew very hot. Cam jumped back and dropped it, it broke into little pieces. Joey sat up. "Your toy just broke." She said. Cam looked at her.  
  
"No kidding." He commented. Joey smirked. Cam looked at the busted scanner. He touched it and removed his hand almost immedality.  
  
"That's really hot!" He commented. Joey looked at him.  
  
"Like a burning fever hot?" She asked. Cam nodded. Joey gave him a half smile.  
  
"It's reacting to my condition." She said. Cam looked at her. Joey shook her head.  
  
"The exact same thing happened at the Academy a few years back. I just remember my mother saying it was reacting to my genetics and condition." Joey finished. Cam nodded.  
  
"I guess it makes sense." Cam said.  
  
"Has anyone ever tried to-" "Diagnose it?" Joey asked.   
  
"Uh, yeah, about a hand full of doctors. Nothing. They can't find anything wrong with me to show why I get this. One even said it was probably mental, that I was crazy..." Joey shrugged.   
  
"Maybe I am." She said. Cam looked at her and shrugged.  
  
"Maybe." He said. He wandered over to a consul in the middle of the room and picked up another scanner and wandered over to Summer. He smiled gently and ran the scanner over her body. When the scan finished he looked at the scanner and sighed.  
  
"Good news, and bad new. which do you want first?" He asked the pink ranger. Summer sighed.  
  
"Good please." She said. Cam nodded.  
  
"Good news is, your injuries are mostly minor, and should heal by themselves. bad news is. you've got two pinched nerves in your legs, so walking is going to be very painful until they heal, which should take 6-8 days." He said. Summer smiled and sat up.  
  
"Other than that. your perfectly fine. and you can both go home now." Cam told them. The girls smiled and stood. Joey bounded from the room immedality, whereas Summer slowly exited, trying not to aggravate her pinched nerves.  
  
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Sensei and Dustin watched as Joey bounded past them and up the steps outside, they then watched at Summer slowly and gingerly made her way out of Ninja Ops. After both girls, as well as Cam, had exited, Sensei turned to Dustin and looked at him.  
  
"I am very disappointed in you Dustin." He said. Dustin sighed and nodded. He pulled off his morpher and communicator and set it on the desk by Sensei's feet. Sensei stared at him. "I know. Find some one else to be the dirt ranger." Dustin said. "Dustin." He said. "You are a power ranger. Your destiny chose you."  
  
"I thought it was just because Shane Tori and I were the only ones left." Dustin replied bitterly. "Whatever reason the three of you arrived late, it was fate. Fate kept you from coming on time and being captured by Lothor. You must know that Dustin." "All I know is I hurt people. People who are my friends. What kind of ranger am I?" "One who can not control his emotions." Sensei said. Dustin looked at him.  
  
"I don't get it." He replied bluntly. Sensei sighed softly and looked at Dustin.  
  
"You cannot control your emotions, therefore, when something happens, you think with your heart, not your head." Sensei finished. Dustin groaned.  
  
"Well at least I know I have a heart now." He said. Sensei chuckled softly.  
  
"You've always had a heart Dustin. And now, that you realize you love Marah, your emotions are coming into play in your decisions more. You were jealous of Hunter and Summer's relationship, so you hurt Summer. Then, you were overtaken by evil." Sensei concluded.  
  
"So, obviously I can't be counted on to make ranger-like decisions." Dustin said. "On the contrary. You are even more fit for it. A ranger must think with his heart and mind." "I'm confused...Aren't you disappointed in me?" He asked. "For the way you choice to let your heart deal with your feelings. A ninja must only fight when needed." Sensei told him. Dustin nodded sheepishly.  
  
"Meaning I shouldn't have fought with Summer, and thrown her off the cliff." Dustin said. Sensei smiled and nodded.  
  
"Exactly. Now as punishment, you will run 10 miles and apologize to Summer for what happened." Sensei said. Dustin nodded and bowed.  
  
"Thank you Sensei." He murmured quietly. Sensei nodded and went back to his little house.  
  
"Don't forget your morpher." Sensei. Dustin picked up his things. He left. He found the others outside. "Summer." He said. Summer looked at him. "I..." "You don't need to apologize. I shouldn't have said those things." Summer said.  
  
"You were only being honest." Dustin said.   
  
"I shouldn't have thrown you off the cliff-" "You didn't throw me, it was more like we fell." She smiled. "Well, fine, but, I shouldn't have pushed you into the river." He said.   
  
"Friends?" He asked. "Always." Summer smiled, hugging him. Dustin looked at Joey. "I know that I was under a spell when it happened, but, still, I'm sorry for strangling you." He said. Joey shrugged. "Eh, I was evil to remember, know the feelings." She said. Dustin smiled.  
  
"Friends?" He asked. Joey nodded. Hunter took Summer's hand in his and leaned down and whispered in her ear.  
  
"Ready to go?" He asked. Summer nodded.  
  
"I'm going to have a long, hot bath when we get home." She commented. Hunter chuckled.  
  
"We'll see you guys later." He said leading Summer away from the group.  
  
"So, just a warning, will it be safe to come home?" Blake asked them. Hunter looked at Summer. "As tempting as it sounds...Not tonight.." She whispered to him. Hunter kissed her forehead. "You're still recovering." He said. He looked at Blake and nodded. He and Summer left.  
  
"So, now what?" Tori asked. "We go home for a long sleep." Joey sighed. "I mean, after that...Like, big picture." Tori said.   
  
"You mean, now that we all know who's who." Larissa said. Tori nodded.   
  
"Well, our base of operations is home, but it's nothing like what you guys have." She said. "Cam, you think you can share the tech business?" Shane smirked. "With any of you, hell no." Cam said.   
  
"But, Larissa, if you want to-"  
  
"Your stuff is far more advance then ours." Larissa said. Cam smiled and took her hand. "Well, then, I guess long hours of tutoring are in order." He said. Larissa smiled. "Guess so." They went back to Opts. Shane, Dustin and Blake laughed. "Cam is in looooove." Dustin said. Everyone chuckled.  
  
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Hunter and Summer walked slowly through the wooded area behind Ninja Ops.  
  
"I need to get my car." Summer said out of the blue. Hunter smiled and kissed her.  
  
"Lets get you home first, then I can go get it." He said. Summer looked at him.  
  
"You'd do that for me?" She asked. Hunter smiled and nodded.  
  
"Of course I would. come on, lets bounce home, you can get your bath and go to bed, and I'll go get your car." He said. Summer smiled.  
  
"Race ya home." She said taking off bouncing in the direction of the Bradley household. Hunter bounced after her. By the time Hunter reached the driveway of his house, Summer was sitting on the porch, resting. Hunter jogged over to her.  
  
"I take it you won?" He asked. Summer winked and giggled.  
  
"I always win." She said.  
  
"Maybe I let you." Hunter smiled. He went over and scooped her up in his arms. Summer shrieked with laughter. "Put me down!" She said. "No can do, m'lady." He said. He opened the door and carried her inside. Summer continued to shriek loudly with laughter as Hunter wandered upstairs and into his room. He gently placed her down on his bed and kissed her. She smiled at him and kissed him back gently.  
  
"Need any help getting undressed?" He asked innocently. Summer tilted her head and looked at him.  
  
"The only thing your going to help me do, is get my car." She joked. Hunter sighed and pouted. He nodded and tossed her robe to her.  
  
"I'll be back soon.. If I come back quickly.. Can I bath with you?" He asked, sounding like a 10-year-old. Summer broke into a fit of giggles.  
  
"Of course." She said kissing him passionately. Hunter grinned and exited the room. He stopped at the door and looked at her. "I love you so much." He commented. Summer looked at him and smiled softly.  
  
"I love you too Hunter." She replied as he bounded down the stairs, and out the door. Summer made her way to the bathroom and filled the tub with warm water. She gingerly took off her clothes and slid into the tub.  
  
A/N: Hey everyone, just to let you know, this book in the series in coming to an end in a few chapters, and Becky and myself will be starting on book two almost as soon as we finish.. Also, my birthday is a week from tomorrow (tomorrow's Monday October 27th, meaning that my birthday will be November 3rd) so well wishes are greatly appreaciated.  
  
Byez! 


	21. Unexpected Discovery

Hunter bounced all the way to where he had seen Summer's car from a distance, near the cliff. He landed a few feet from the driver side door and walked toward the car. Her keys were still in the ignition. Hunter opened the door and started the car. He shifted gears and turned the car around on the narrow dirt road, and sped off, back towards his house. He soon arrived and parked it in the driveway. He got out and went to the house. He placed her keys on the table by the door.  
  
"Summer?" He called.  
  
"In here." She replied. Hunter smiled and made his way to the bathroom, kicking off his shoes and pulling of his shirt.  
  
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"So, I'm guessing Larissa's going to be there for a while." Joey said with a smirk.  
  
"Eh, Sensei will thwack Cam with something if they start doing something other then 'tutoring'." Blake smirked.  
  
"Oh, so good to know my best friend's chastity will remain." Joey said rolling her eyes. "Well, I'm going to go." She said. She went to leave. Shane followed.  
  
"Need company?" He asked. Joey looked at him.  
  
"Shane." She said. She took a deep breath and looked at Blake, Dustin, and Tori.  
  
"Oh, guys, look at that...tree...over there." Tori said.  
  
"Oh yeah.." Blake said.  
  
"What's so great about a tree?" Dustin asked. Tori rolled her eyes and shoved Dustin as she and Blake walked away. Joey looked at Shane.  
  
"Maybe it's best if we didn't spend so much time together." She said. Shane looked at her.  
  
"Joey, this isn't some ploy to get you horizontal or something. Just a simple question. Do you need company?" He asked. Joey sighed and ran her hands over her face, and through her hair. She looked at Shane and sighed.  
  
"I guess...... a little company would be nice...... but if you try anythin- "  
  
"You can hurt me." He finished. Joey smiled.  
  
"Well, if you insist." Joey grinned. They walked together.  
  
"So, how was it, growing up in the academy?" He asked. Joey tucked her hair behind her ear.  
  
"It was all right, I guess. Sometimes it got stupid, you know, other girls claiming Lar and I got special treatment because the Senseis were our moms." She said.  
  
"Did you?" Shane asked.  
  
"Are you kidding? I mean, my mom made me work harder because I was her daughter. She said I was an example for the other girls. Which I didn't mind. It just bugged me when Larissa got picked on."  
  
"You've always protected Larissa?" Shane asked.  
  
"She's like my little sister. I've known her since, well, since she was a baby and I was a toddler." Joey smiled.  
  
"So, how did Summer break into your close knit twosome?" Shane asked.  
  
"You ask a lot of questions, Mr. Clarke." Joey said, giving him a sideways smile.  
  
"Just curious, Ms. Sanchez." Shane smiled. Joey smirked.  
  
"Summer, as was said before, was basically the delinquent kicked out of her academy for being a girl... So I took a liking to her right away." Joey said. Shane smirked.  
  
"She was obviously so like you." He commented. Joey looked at him.  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked  
  
"Nothing really, just that you and Summer are the same. You both break the rules sometimes, can be a little hard to read, but when push comes to shove, you do whatever it takes to protect the ones you love." He said. Joey looked down.  
  
"Don't know about that one. Lots of shoving when Lothor attacked, I didn't do anything." She said, kicking the dirt a bit. Shane took her hand and made her look at him.  
  
"You knew there was more at stake." Shane said.  
  
"No, I didn't. I wanted to help. I wanted to protect my mother." Joey said.  
  
"Then, why didn't you?" Shane asked. Joey pursed her lips together.  
  
"Because....I knew that if I did...I'd get taken too." She said softly. "Some superhero I am." She muttered. Shane smiled softly.  
  
"Sometimes, even superheroes need to stand back and watch." He commented. Joey looked at him.  
  
"It's still not fair." She whispered angrily. Shane nodded.  
  
"You're right." He said. "It isn't fair. It isn't fair that Lothor took a bunch of innocent people. It's not fair that Blake, Hunter and Summer lost their parents at a young age. It's not fair that you're sick, or Summer keeps getting hurt, or Larissa's apparently getting some intense abilities, it's not fair that us, a bunch of normal teenagers have to lie to people about who we really are and that we're the world's only chance. It's not fair that your mother was ra-"  
  
"I get it." Joey sighed. "Life's not fair, get used to it."  
  
"You can look at it like that." Shane said.  
  
"How else is there to look at it?" She asked.  
  
"Well, just the fact that no matter how hard things might seem, we're still breathing, we're still able to live day by day, helping others, helping each other." He said.  
  
"That's so Sensei-speak. And don't deny it, I've heard it for all my life. Mom could get uber-philosophical at times." Joey smiled.  
  
"So, what was she like when she wasn't?" Shane asked. Joey smiled softly.  
  
"She was amazing. Beautiful, funny, intelligent." Joey said.  
  
"Just like you." Shane said. Joey bit her lip, and pretended to not comment on that.  
  
"She would make me realize that just because I'm the daughter of a ninja master, and I live at a ninja academy, doesn't mean that was all there was to life. She's the one who got me into art, and just life outside of the academy." Joey said. She stopped walking and sat by a tree. Shane sat with her. "I remember when I was a little girl, she'd pull me out of studies, saying it was important for my ninja training, and she'd take me to museums, galleries, theatre shows, poetry cafes, concerts in the park, almost everywhere." She said.  
  
"Sounds incredible." Shane said. Joey nodded.  
  
"It was. I felt so great. I felt like a normal little girl and her mommy walking hand in hand in the park. Sometimes, I'd even get jealous of all the normal little girls walking hand in hand with their mommies and daddies." Joey said. She took a deep breath. "But then I remembered I was perfectly all right without him, whoever he was." Shane smiled.  
  
"See, you don't need him... Your doing fine without him." Shane commented. Joey nodded.  
  
"I know, but still...." She said. Shane nodded.  
  
"I understand." He replied. Joey smiled softly.  
  
"I guess it's not like I grew up without a 'male influence'. Summer's uncle David would come by sometimes. He was nice. He was like a father.I guess."  
  
"So, there are males you've trusted." Shane said.  
  
"He was the only one who slipped under the radar...Until now." She said. Shane looked at her. Joey smiled.  
  
"He'd bring Summer, Larissa and I gifts on our birthdays and Christmas. I remember Mom didn't like it at first, said it was unnecessary, but I guess after a while, he slipped under her radar too. I know he slipped under Larissa's mom's radar." Joey smirked.  
  
"What do you mean?" Shane asked.  
  
"Well, I shouldn't gossip...But it was like Taheaira would look forward to his visits more then we did." She smirked. Shane looked at her with wide eyes.  
  
"You... mean that....uh.... huh?" Came out the mumble jumble. Joey burst out laughing.  
  
"No Shane, they weren't sleeping together... not even close... I think she liked him though.... and something tells me the feeling was mutual." She finished.  
  
"So, Summer and Larissa might be like cousins someday?" Shane asked. Joey shrugged.  
  
"That all depends on if we ever find her, my mom, and all the others." Joey said. Shane put a hand on her shoulder.  
  
"We will find them." Shane said, looking in her eyes. Joey looked at him. She smiled.  
  
"You know, I actually believe you." She said softly. Shane smiled.  
  
"It's true." He said. "We will defeat Lothor, everyone will come back, and all will be perfect." He said. Joey smiled.  
  
"Nothing's ever perfect." She said.  
  
"It can always come pretty damn close." Shane said. Joey nodded.  
  
"True." She said. She sighed. "Now, if only you could say that I'd find out who hurt my mother and make him pay for what he did to her.." She said. Shane squeezed her shoulder.  
  
"I can't." He said.  
  
"I know." Joey said. "I know that the chances of finding him are....nonexistent...Which only makes him more, if that's possible."  
  
"You know that if he hadn't...You wouldn't be here." Shane said.  
  
"Yeah, I know." Joey said. "But I wish that wasn't the case. I wish that I was the product of consensual sex. I wish that I wasn't my mother's painful reminder of that day."  
  
"You don't know that. You don't know that your mother saw you like that. I'm sure she saw you as a blessing from an unfortunate event." He said.  
  
"A blessing?" Joey asked.  
  
"Yeah. You're a blessing. You're a blessing to everyone who's life you enter." He said softly. Joey looked at him. Shane slowly leaned into her. Their lips met in a slow kiss.  
  
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After the long warm bath, Hunter carried Summer off back to the room. He helped her change into one of his old jerseys. He changed into boxers and a t-shirt and the two crawled into bed. Hunter held her to him gently.  
  
"I love you." He whispered into her hair.  
  
"I love you." She said. The front door opened and closed.  
  
"I'm home." Came Blake's voice. Summer rolled her eyes.  
  
"Oh wonderful." She joked sarcastically. Hunter smirked and removed himself from her embrace. He went to his door and opened it.  
  
"Hey bro." Hunter said, his voice trailing down the stairs to his younger brother.  
  
"Hey." Blake responded. Hunter bounced down the stairs and came face to face with Blake. Blake sniffed the air around Hunter.  
  
"Dude... you smell like strawberries...." Blake commented. Hunter's face flushed a deep shade of red.  
  
"It's my bubble-bath." Summer's voice came from the stairs. She padded down the rest of the stairs. She had put on a pair of black shorts and was wearing white socks. Compared to Hunter, she was so short.  
  
"Hey." Blake said. Summer smiled.  
  
"Hi." She responded.  
  
"How you feeling?" Blake asked.  
  
"Better now." Summer said. "That bath was so refreshing." She said. Blake took note of Hunter's damp hair and scent and smirked.  
  
"I'm sure." He joked. Summer glared at him playfully.  
  
"You know, Blake, you do have a girlfriend. Instead of making comments about your brother and I, why don't you do something?" She asked with a playful smirk. Blake gave a dry laugh.  
  
"For your information, I want to take things slow with Tori." He said. "I don't want to rush things.." He caught himself quickly. "..Not that you guys are.I mean.."  
  
"I get it." Summer said. "Everyone moves at their own pace. Sometimes you just don't want to wait, you just know it's the right thing." Summer smiled, putting her arms around Hunter's waist. Hunter smiled and kissed the crown of her head.  
  
"And it was the right thing...for you guys." Blake commented. Summer nodded.  
  
"I can't help it if I'm so attractive." Summer joked. Hunter smirked.  
  
"Why joke.... it's the truth." He replied. Blake rolled his eyes.  
  
"Whatever." Blake said. "I'm going to bed." He said as he went to his room. Summer looked at Hunter.  
  
"So, answer something for me." She said.  
  
"What?" He asked.  
  
"What is it with you Bradley brothers and blondes?" She joked. Hunter smiled.  
  
"Wait a few days so you can recover, and we can venture that." He said seductively. Summer groaned.  
  
"You are so cruel." She sighed, leaning against him, wishing she could take him up on that offer that very moment.  
  
"eh, I try." He commented as he picked her up and swung her around gently.  
  
"Comeon... you need rest..." He said. Summer rolled her eyes and padded up the stairs. Hunter grinned wickedly and smacked her ass hard. Summer screeched loudly and turned around glaring at him.  
  
"you so didn't just slap my ass." She said. Hunter grinned innocently.  
  
"And if I did?" He asked wickedly. Summer raised an eyebrow. She then grinned wickedly.  
  
"Then I guess you'll have to wait more than a few days." She said. She kept walking. Hunter groaned.  
  
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Joey and Shane were kissing passionately. She felt as if she was alive just then.  
  
"Joey?" Came a voice, a distant voice.....  
  
"Joey." Shane repeated. After he had said she was a blessing to everyone, Joey had kind of spaced out, looked off into the distance and got quiet. "Joey." He said. Joey blinked and shook her head. She turned to Shane. It had all been..a daydream..  
  
"Yeah?" She asked.  
  
"You OK? You got all spacey on me for a bit." He said. Joey nodded. Shane looked at her.  
  
"Uh huh, I'm fine, just tired." She said. Shane looked at her.  
  
"Are you sure your ok?" He asked gently. Joey gave him a fake smile.  
  
"Positive." She responded. Shane decided to not push the issue.  
  
"OK." He said.  
  
())))))))))))))))((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((()))))))))))))))) )))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))((((((((((((((((((((()  
  
A few weeks passed by. Things were going by all right. Summer still was living with the guys, which Larissa and Joey seemed to be OK with, seeing as Hunter and Blake were rangers so it wasn't like some sort of break up of their team. Cam and Larissa had become as incredibly loving like Summer and Hunter, minus some aspects of course. They actually began to consider moving the girls' tech base into Ninja Opts, so everything was in one place. Shane and Joey were still friends. They would even do training sessions together. Although they tended to be more Joey knocking Shane on his ass.  
  
Kelly stood behind the counter in Storm Chargers ringing in a few customers' purchases. She was short one staff member today. It was Wednesday today, and it was Summer's designated day off, so she hadn't come into work, and they were really busy for once. When the last customer had finished at the cash Kelly turned and looked at Hunter and Dustin who were stocking Motocross Magazines onto the racks.  
  
"Guys?" She called. Dustin and Hunter looked at her.  
  
"Yeah Kel?" Hunter asked. She waved the two boys over.  
  
"Where's Blake?" She asked looking around. Blake exited the backroom and joined his brother, Dustin and Kelly. "There you are. Now I can ask you guys." She said. The guys looked at her puzzled. Kelly smiled.  
  
"I'm thinking of holding a town Halloween party here at Storm Chargers, and I was hoping that you guys would be able to help me set the place up and get ready." She finished. The guys looked at each other, then back at Kelly.  
  
"Sure! We'd be glad to help." Blake said happily. Kelly sighed happily and smiled.  
  
"Thanks so much guys." She gushed.  
  
"Yeah, a good ole party is just what we all need to kick back and relax, man." Hunter smiled, already planning his costume. "I better go tell Summer." He said.  
  
"Aren't you guys meeting up later?" Dustin asked.  
  
"Yeah." Hunter said.  
  
()))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( (((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((  
  
Shane and Joey were sparring in one of the training rooms in Ninja Opts.   
  
"So, how long have you been training?" Joey asked as she went to kick him. Shane ducked.  
  
"About a year, why?"  
  
"Oh, it shows." Joey smiled. Shane looked at her.  
  
"Oh, and what's that supposed to mean?" Shane asked. He went to punch her. Joey took his arm and stepped into him. She kicked his feet from under him, sending him falling back onto the matt.  
  
"Oh nothing, just a little observation." She shrugged. Shane chuckled.  
  
"Oh, really?" He asked. "Well, what about you? How long have you been training?" He asked. Joey offered her hand to him to help him up. He took it.   
  
"You really need to ask?" She replied.   
  
"Remember, my mom's a sensei, I grew up in the academy."   
  
"Oh yeah, good point." Shane said. Joey laughed and went to the side of the room, grabbing her water bottle. She took a sip.   
  
"Want some?" She asked.   
  
"Sure." Shane said. Joey went over and gave him the water bottle. He squirted some water into his mouth. He looked at her. She was sitting by the wall, wiping some sweat off her brow. Shane went over and sat next to her, giving her back her water. Joey smiled and took another swig. Shane looked at her. He took a deep breath.   
  
"Hey, I was wondering...Do you...Uh...Want to...do something...later?" He asked. Joey looked at him.  
  
"Oh, sure." She said.   
  
"Although, how many more sparring sessions with me knocking you on your ass can you endure?" She smirked. Shane blinked.  
  
"Uh...No....Not a sparing session." He said. He sighed.   
  
"Forget it." He said.   
  
"What? Shane, what's bugging you?" She asked.   
  
"Nothing, I just thought we could just hang out. Go see a movie or something." He replied. Joey looked at him.  
  
"Well, why didn't you just say so?" She asked.   
  
"Yeah, Lars been wanting to see that new movie...With...uh...crap.... that new vampire one...with the British chick, so, maybe all nine of us can go. Our first ranger outing off the battlefield." Joey said with a smile. Shane looked at her.  
  
"What?  
  
"No....Not..." Shane sighed and laid his head against the wall.  
  
"I think living in a academy with just girls has left you somewhat clueless." Shane muttered. Joey looked at her.  
  
"What? Shane, you're not making sense. Now, what is it, sparring session, or movie with the others?" She asked. Shane looked at her.  
  
"Neither. I meant...Something.... just the two of us.... hanging out."   
  
"Shane, you and I always hang out. At the skate park the-"  
  
"Jo, I'm trying to ask you to go out with me on a date!" Shane finally blurted out in frustration. Joey's mouth instantly shut.   
  
"You're...asking me out on a date?" Joey asked, surprised.  
  
"Well, I'm trying to. I've been trying to since we all got back from that freaky island...Since we kissed...." His voice trailed off. He looked at Joey. Joey looked away.  
  
"Shane, I told you, that kiss wasn't...I mean...We can't...I...I can't." Joey stammered nervously. She sighed, standing up. Shane looked at her.   
  
"You said you couldn't do relationships...but you didn't give me a reason." He stood up and walked over to her.   
  
"Josephine, I like you, a lot, and correct me if I'm wrong, but a person usually only kisses someone they like, so, I know you like me too."  
  
"Who ever said I'm usual?" Joey replied. "Shane, I can't...I can't do relationships...I never have, and that's how I plan on keeping it. My mom did, and look where that got her."  
  
"It got her with you." Shane said.  
  
"It got her with the guy...whoever the hell he is.... violating her...and not having the decency to stick around for the outcome of his stupid action!" Joey screamed. Shane looked at her. He pulled her into a hug. Joey stepped back.  
  
"Don't." She said. She took a deep breath and smoothed her hair back.  
  
"I'm sorry, Shane. I'm sorry that I kissed you and."  
  
"Joey." Shane said.   
  
"You might be sorry you kissed me, but I'm not sorry I kissed you back. I had been wanting to kiss you for a while, so, there aren't any regrets on my part." He said. Joey tilted her head and looked at him.  
  
"You have no regrets about that?" She asked. Shane nodded.  
  
"I like you Joey.... And like I said I had no regrets kissing you." Joey backed away shaking her head.  
  
"Shane...I can't. I mean, god, I don't even do that usually. I mean that was..." Her voice trailed off a bit, she looked away, a little embarrassed. Shane looked at her.  
  
"Your first kiss?" He asked. Joey sighed.  
  
"Yeah. I know.... I'm such a dork...Make fun of me." She said. Shane shook his head.  
  
"Why would I?" He asked.   
  
"I think it's kind of-"  
  
"If you say sweet, I'll hurt you." Joey said.  
  
"What is it with you and hurting males?" Shane asked. Joey looked at him.  
  
"Do I need to explain in detail how I feel about men?" She retorted. Shane sighed. "I saw what he did to her. I saw the fear in her eyes. It felt so real...As if it was happening to me. I know that whoever this guy is, she did love him, and then he took that love and hurt her with it."  
  
"So, what, you think I'd do that to you?" Shane asked, feeling a little hurt. Joey looked at him.  
  
"No....but I can't take that chance! I don't need, nor want to get hurt." She cried. Shane's face softened.  
  
"Joey.... I'd never hurt you...I car-" Shane was cut off. Summer and Tori bounded down the stairs in Ninja Ops.  
  
"Hey guys!" The pink ranger smiled, her smile faded as she saw Joey's face.  
  
"Something wrong?" Summer asked. Joey shook her head.  
  
"Nothing's wrong...." She said. Shane looked at Joey.   
  
"Right." He muttered. Summer and Tori looked at Shane and Joey. Summer went up to Shane.  
  
"What did you do?" She asked. Joey turned to Summer and grabbed her arm, pulling her back.  
  
"He didn't do anything, just forget it, OK?" She asked. Summer looked at Joey.  
  
"Ok ok...Geez...Let go of my arm Joey." Summer told her. Joey let go of her arm and Summer backed up.  
  
"If your sure your fine.... I'm going to go.... I'll be out with Hunter if you guys need me." Summer said. The three nodded and the pink ranger exited Ninja Ops. Tori looked at them both.  
  
"I'm going to pull a Summer... See ya soon!" The blond water ninja chorused before streaking out of Ninja Ops. Shane and Joey stared at each other.  
  
"Joey, I-"  
  
"Shane, just don't, please." She said softly. Shane sighed and went over to her. In one fluid movement, he pulled her closer. His mouth descended upon hers. Shane kissed her softly. A part of Joey wanted to fight it, a part of her wanted to pull away, but another part of her didn't. A part of her wanted to stay in his embrace forever. Joey moaned softly and put his arms around Shane's shoulders, kissing him back. 'Stop!' Her mind screamed. But she couldn't, it was like her feet were glued to the floor, not wanting her to move from that spot. Shane pulled away, but kept his hands where they were. Joey looked at him.  
  
"Wow." He said. Joey nodded.   
  
"I..." Joey said softly, tears filling her eyes. Her head kept ordering her to move push Shane away, run away, but she couldn't. A tear slid down her face. Shane reached up and wiped at her cheek with his thumb.  
  
"Joey, don't cry." He said softly. Joey's chin quivered a bit.  
  
"I'm so confused." She said softly.   
  
"I.... I can't do this." She whispered. Shane pulled her into a hug.  
  
"Why can't you do this Joey?" He asked quietly. Joey sighed.  
  
"I don't want to be hurt..." She confessed. Shane lowered himself so he could look her directly in the eyes.  
  
"What makes you think I'd ever hurt you?" He questioned.  
  
"I don't." She said.  
  
"I...I'm just so scared...." She whispered as more tears came to her eyes.  
  
"I'm just scared and..." Shane pulled her closer into a tight, comforting hug.   
  
"You don't have to be scared." He whispered softly into her ear.  
  
"But I am." She whispered. Shane planted a kiss on the crown of her head.  
  
"Joey.... I'd never hurt you.... I can't promise the world to you, but don't be scared of me...." He told her quietly. Joey slowly placed her arms around his body.  
  
"Why are you trying so hard, anyway?" She asked. She pulled back a bit and looked at him.   
  
"I mean, any sensible guy would've just given up by now."  
  
"I guess I'm not very sensible." Shane smiled.   
  
"Oh no, not if you have feelings for me." Joey replied. Shane looked into her eyes.  
  
"Well, if that's being a non-sensible guy, I wish I was non-sensible a long time ago." He said softly. Joey looked at him.  
  
"I don't know if I'm ready for a relationship.... I'm just so afraid." She confided. Shane looked at her.  
  
"Afraid of what Jo?" He asked. Joey bit her lip and looked him straight in the eyes again.  
  
"Afraid of ending up the same way my mother did." She replied tearfully. Shane rubbed her arms.  
  
"I'd never do that Joey." he told her gently.  
  
"How do I know that for sure?" She asked.   
  
"What if someday you do...?" She said softly. Shane tightened his arms around her.   
  
"I'd rather die then ever even think about hurting you." He said softly. Joey sighed.  
  
"I just don't know Shane...." She trailed off, looking away from him.  
  
Shane kissed her forehead gently.  
  
"I'll make you a deal...You go out on a date with me, and if I royally mess it up, you can kick my ass and I'll leave you alone." He compromised. Joey looked at him.  
  
"I think I can live with that." She said, smiling. Shane chuckled.  
  
"So we have a deal then?" he asked hopefully. Joey nodded.  
  
"I guess we do." She replied. Shane went to kiss her. Joey turned her head.  
  
"Stop that." She said. She stepped back a bit.   
  
"I think we should make some ground rules for this date though." She stated. Shane nodded.  
  
"OK."  
  
"Rule number 1, no kissing." She said.  
  
"Huh?" Shane asked.   
  
"What's a date without kissing?" He asked.  
  
"I'll give you hand holding, but no kissing." Joey said.   
  
"I..." She sighed.  
  
"Whenever you kiss me, I loose myself for a while, and it wouldn't be fair if.." Shane understood.  
  
"OK, no kissing." He said.  
  
"Rule 2. No groping of any kind. If I even see you think to make an attempt to grope me, I'll get Summer to do the nut-grab again on you." Joey threatened. Shane gulped and nodded.  
  
"And Rule 3. I get to pick the movie." She joked. Shane pouted.  
  
"No fair!" He said. Joey laughed.  
  
"Life my dear isn't fair, especially if you date me!" Shane smiled.  
  
"Guess not. But I think I'll be up for that challenge." Shane said. Joey laughed softly.   
  
"I'm going to make you wish you never met me." She said smugly. Shane shook his head.  
  
"That, my dear, is not possible." He said. Joey bit her lip.  
  
"All right...Uh...So, I guess tonight then.... right?" She said. Shane nodded.  
  
"So, am I to assume this would be your first date?" He asked. Joey gave him a look.  
  
"Yes..." She replied. Shane smiled.  
  
"It'll be fun." he told her. Joey looked at him.  
  
"Yeah...fun for me...pain for you." She joked.  
  
"So, what movie do you want to see?" He asked. Joey grinned.  
  
"Well, I'm supposed to make this evening the most unpleasant for you as possible, so, I'll think of something. Be at the house around 8, OK?" She said. Shane nodded.   
  
"I wouldn't dream of being a minute late." He replied with a smile.  
  
))))))))))))))))))))))))))))(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((  
  
Summer sat on a rock cross-legged, her hands stuffed into the pockets of her hoodie, looking at the ocean. The sun was setting and it looked so peaceful.  
  
Sighing softly, Summer closed her eyes and continued to sit there.  
  
((((((((((((((((((((Summer's Daydream World))))))))))))))))))  
  
Summer stood on a dock overlooking a calm and peaceful lake. She was wearing a white and black lace dress it was blowing softly behind her. Her hair was pinned to the back of her hair, and looked so pretty. She walked to the edge of the dock and looked into the water, staring back into her reflection a single tear rolled down her cheek and dropped into the water. As it hit the water, it exploded around her and turned to ice. Summer shivered and an ice voice spoke from behind her.  
  
"It's as cold here, as it is in your heart." The voice growled. Summer's eyes went wide, and she fell into the ice water.  
  
)))))))))))))))))))))((((((((((((((((((Real World)))))))))))))))))))))((((((((((((((((((  
  
Summer tumbled off her rock and landed in the sand. She opened her eyes and took in her surroundings. She pushed herself into standing position and looked around.  
  
"Ok hopefully nobody saw that." She said out loud. Summer dusted herself off and leaned against the rock. She looked at her watch. Hunter should be finished at the track by now, she was going to pick him up and they were going to do something tonight, they hadn't decided what yet. She turned around and began walking towards Storm Chargers. She didn't get very far, when she could hear something walking behind her. Summer picked up the pace, and so did whatever was walking behind her. Summer pulled a compact out of her pocket and flipped it upwards and looked behind her. Running after her was Vexacus. Summer silently cursed herself. She hated Vexacus more than any of the other Lothor lapdogs. Summer stopped and turned around, looking at Vexacus.  
  
"What exactly are you doing?" She asked. Vexacus smirked.  
  
"I'm going to destroy everyone's favorite Pink Ranger." He replied.  
  
"Oh, you embarrass me." Summer said dryly.   
  
"My ego is so huge now." She got into a fighting stance.   
  
"Guess it'll get bigger when I kick your sorry butt." She said.  
  
"Foolish girl." Vexacus laughed.   
  
"You'll never beat me." He growled. Summer rolled her eyes.  
  
"Trust me Vexie.... I'll whoop your ass so badly, you won't be able to sit down for a week!" She exclaimed. Vexacus laughed.  
  
"I highly doubt that." He snarled. Rolling her eyes again Summer transformed.  
  
"Thunder Storm, Ranger Form HA!" She cried, changing into the Pink Thunder Ranger.  
  
"Bring it on ugly!" She called.  
  
"With pleasure." Vexacus snarled. He ran at her, his sword drawn Summer pulled out her thunder staff and brought it up, fending off his sword. She kicked him in the gut, sending him sprawling back. He tried getting up but Summer slammed her foot against his chest, keeping him down.  
  
"Now, is there any particular reason you decided to grace me with your presence, or did you just have the incredible urge to have your ass handed to you?" Vexacus looked at her.  
  
"As I said before, I'm going to destroy everyone's favorite Pink Ranger." he said, venom filling his voice. Summer rolled her eyes.  
  
"Yeah, and I'm the Queen of Englan-" She was cut off by Vexacus flipping her off him and onto her back. Summer grunted as her back slammed into the ground. She pushed herself up and began spinning her thunder staff.  
  
"Oh what a pretty baton. Mind if I break it?" Vexacus growled, slamming his sword against her staff.  
  
"As a matter of fact, this was a gift... Get you own!" She snarled, pushing back against his blade.  
  
"I'd rather take yours, along with your life." Vexacus growled as he backhanded her across the face sending her sprawling onto her side with a grunt.   
  
"Dream on, ugly." Summer spat back.   
  
"Oh I have dreamt Pink Ranger... Of you and defeating you!" He snarled loudly bringing his sword down. Summer ducked out of the way before he could hit her.  
  
"What is it with you?! Geez!" Summer growled as she took a swipe at him with her staff. Vexacus grabbed it and began pulling on it. Summer pulled back and so began the tug-of-war.  
  
"Back off, fish face!" Snarled a voice as a blast came hitting Vexacous, sending him falling back. Summer looked up to see 8-beam of light streaking towards her. Crimson, Navy, Green, Blue, Red, Yellow, Black and Orange. They appeared before her, guarding her against Vexacus. Hunter turned to Summer and helped her up.   
  
"Cyber Cam and his computer stuff sensed Vexacus. Are you all right?" He asked. Summer nodded.  
  
"Pissed as hell, but good." She replied. Hunter nodded.  
  
"At least your safe now." He told her. Vexacus looked at the 9 rangers.  
  
"None of you will be safe! Prepare to face your doom!" He snarled again. He  
  
blasted the ground near them and everyone dove to the left or right of Vexacus. Five on his left and four on his right. Blake, Tori, Dustin, Shane and Joey fell to the left. Larissa, Cam, Hunter and Summer to the right. Shane looked at  
  
Dustin.   
  
"Dude, now would be a good time for your girlfriend to show up and do something." He said lowly. Joey jabbed her elbow in his gut a bit.  
  
"Remember, to them, she's still a baddie." She whispered.  
  
"Great." Tori said. Suddenly a blast rang out. Everyone looked up.   
  
"Someone ask for me?" Came a voice. "Marah?" Dustin said softly. Vexacus looked up.  
  
"What the hell are you doing here?" Vexacus asked. "I'm destroying these children, I don't need your bumbling in my way." Marah stepped up to Vexacus.  
  
"I'm sorry, but I can't let you do that." She said.   
  
"What? I am doing this for your uncle, he despises these things."   
  
"Well, I don't, so back off!" Marah yelled as she shot her hands out, blasting  
  
Vexacus. Vexacus fell back, landing on his side. He glared at Marah.  
  
"You disgusting, traitorous bi-" Dustin jumped up to his feet and went to Marah's side.  
  
"I suggest you stop right there." He snarled. Vexacus looked up.  
  
"Why? You going to try and destroy me boy?" The monster spat. Dustin nodded.  
  
"Actually. I Am." he said. "Ninja Sword! Gold Mode!" Dustin called out. He  
  
brought the sword down, into the sand. Vexacus had disappeared.  
  
"Where'd he go?!" Dustin yelled. The Rangers looked at each other and shrugged. Suddendly the ground began to rumble, then it exploded, sending the rangers, and Marah upwards and outwards.  
  
"What the hell just happened?" Joey hissed in pain.   
  
"Dustin, I think you over did it with the sword." Tori said.  
  
"Guys, that wasn't me." Dustin replied.  
  
"No, it was I." Came a voice. Everyone looked up to see Lothor.  
  
"Oh wonderful." Summer groaned.  
  
"What not happy to see me Pink Ranger?" Lothor asked turning around.  
  
'Shit. Double shit. Triple shit.' Summer though. She pushed herself into sitting position and pushed herself through the sand towards the rock wall. She didn't get very far, before she crashed into Vexacus' legs.  
  
"Shit." She muttered. The rangers stood behind Lothor, fighting off the newly arrived Kelzacks. Lothor smirked.  
  
"So I guess this is the end of the pink ranger." He snarled happily. Summer glared at him. He grabbed her thunder staff.  
  
"Beautiful staff young one. Too bad it'll be the end of you." He smirked. He raised it over his head and brought it crashing down. He expected it to hit flesh, but he wasn't expecting something or someone to be pushing the staff backup. Summer reached up and grabbed her staff.   
  
"No, more like yours." She grunted. She jumped up, kicking Vexacus in the face.  
  
Joey was fighting off the Kelzacks when she saw Summer and Vexacus going at it. She went to help her when someone stepped in her way.  
  
"Going to save your friend, I see." Lothor sneered. Joey glared at him.  
  
"No," Joey said.   
  
"Looking for you, so I can kick your ass!" She yelled. She went to punch him. Lothor grabbed her fist in his hand.  
  
"I don't think so." He replied. He squeezed her hand. Joey screamed. She heard her bones cracking. Lothor threw her away. Shane heard her scream and looked over.  
  
"Joey!" He cried out. Joey looked at Shane.   
  
"Stay out of this!" She ordered.   
  
"He's mine." She got up. Lothor chuckled.   
  
"Oh, how brave." Lothor replied. Joey glared at him, standing up.   
  
"You took my mother from me, you are going to pay." She snarled. Lothor looked at her.  
  
"Oh? Well, I've taken so many people, you must try to narrow it down a bit." He said. Joey glared at him. She punched him in the face.   
  
"Her name is Carmen Sanchez, you bastard." She growled. Lothor stopped. He looked at her.  
  
"What?" He said.   
  
"Oh, so you know her?" Joey snarled.  
  
"Yes I know her." He growled. Joey glared at him.  
  
"Where is she?!" She snarled. Lothor smirked.  
  
"If I told you that, I'd have to kill you, and what a shame that'd be, you are  
  
so pretty." He remarked stroking her face. Joey slapped his hand away.  
  
"Hands off the merchandise pal!" She snarled. Lothor grinned.  
  
------  
  
Summer and Vexacus circled each other.  
  
"Just give up pink ranger, your not even morphed. I can beat you either way." He gloated. Summer rolled her eyes.  
  
"Yeah... And pigs fly." She grunted dodging his sword. He swung sideways and just nicked Summer shirt and stomach, ripping the shirt and cutting her stomach open. She winced in pain but dodged more attacked. 'I won't give up, I can't give up.' Summer muttered silently while she continued to dodge more shots. 'I need to morph, or I'm going to get my ass kicked.' She though. Hunter saw Summer get cut. He growled, his anger boiling. He ran over, jumping up and kicking Vexacus in the chest.  
  
"Leave her alone, buddy." Hunter snarled.  
  
"Oh, how sweet, the boy saving his love."  
  
"Come near her again, and those will be your last words." Hunter said.   
  
----  
  
"You do remind me much of her." Lothor said, circling Joey.   
  
"You look so much like her, fight like her, I'm surprised I didn't notice this earlier." He said. Joey smirked.   
  
"So, my mom kicked your ass a few times, yay mom." Joey said. Lothor laughed.  
  
"We did fight a few times, but your mother didn't have intentions of hurting me, it was simple sparring." He said.   
  
"And why would my mother ever spar with you, without the intention to kill?" She asked.   
  
"Simple." Lothor said. He leaned into Joey.  
  
"Because she and I loved one another." He whispered in her ear. Joey gasped and stumbled back. "No.........." She said. Lothor looked at her.  
  
"What's your problem?" he asked Joey who was backing away from him. She ran at him and tackled him around the waist, causing them both to tumble to the ground. Joey began furiously punching Lothor in the face.  
  
"Die asshole die!" She screamed. Everyone that had been fighting the Kelzacks turned and faced Joey who was literally beating the snot out of Lothor.  
  
---  
  
Hunter stood morphed in front of Summer, trying to protect her. When they heard Joey scream they turned their heads to look to see if she was all right. Vexacus grinned and lifted his sword over his head. Summer turned her head before Vexacus swung in downwards. She screamed loudly and Hunter shoved her out of the way, taking the full blow of the sword across his back. He cried out in pain and dropped to his knees. Summer caught him as he slumped forward.  
  
"Oh god...Hunter!" She cried softly as he de-morphed. His face was screwed up in pain. Summer's head snapped up and glared at the approaching Vexacus. She gently placed Hunter down and stood up.  
  
"Nobody gets away with hurting my boyfriend." She snarled. Vexacus smirked and swung his sword at her again. Summer dodged it and kicked him hard in the stomach with newfound strength. Stumbling Vexacus looked at her. 'Where did she get this strength from?' he wondered.  
  
"Thunder Storm! Ranger Form! HA!" Summer yelled.  
  
"Oh, now I'm scared." Vexacus sneered.  
  
"You should be." Summer replied.   
  
"HYAH!" She yelled as she went at him, punching and kicking. Vexacus tried to defend himself, but she was too fast. Summer kicked his hand, sending his sword out of his grasp. It fell by her feet. She picked it up and held it, aiming at his chest.  
  
"How ironic would it be if I killed you, with your own weapon?" She asked, innocently.   
  
"How about we see?" She asked.  
  
"Perhaps some other time." Vexacus said as he left. Summer tossed the sword down. She went to Hunter.  
  
"Baby, are you all right?" She asked. Hunter nodded.  
  
"The suit took the most of it." He grunted.   
  
"Stuff's stronger then Kevlar." He smiled.  
  
---  
  
Lothor grabbed Joey and tossed her aside. Lothor stood up.   
  
"You have a lot of nerve attacking me." He replied. He went over and gripped her face in his palm.   
  
"Your mother knew not to displease me, I suggest you do the same." He sneered.  
  
"What, going to rape me like you did her?" Joey snarled lowly. She shook out of his grasp.   
  
"I wouldn't recommend it, unless you're a fan of incest, dad." She said, her eyes narrowed to angry slits. 


	22. Trouble in Paradise

Lothor looked at her.   
  
"So, you're the child." Lothor grinned.   
  
"I would've thought Carmen would've gotten rid of you. I guess she wanted to keep my little token." He smirked. Joey stood up and launched herself to tackle him again; he vanished, causing her to fall on the ground. The Kelzacks also left.  
  
"Joey!" Shane said as he, Cam, Larissa, Dustin, Marah, Blake, and Tori went to her. Larissa helped her to her feet. She saw the hand that Lothor had hurt.   
  
"You're bleeding." She said.   
  
"What were you thinking?" Shane yelled.   
  
"What in the world made you go at him like that?" He asked.   
  
"Shane, stop." Larissa pleaded.   
  
"Lothor was the one who captured her mom, remember." She said. Shane's face softened.  
  
"I...I forgot." He confessed. Joey nodded.  
  
"S'ok." She told him. They looked around.  
  
"Where are Hunter and Summer?" Blake asked. Tori pointed.  
  
"Over there!" She exclaimed. There, walking towards them, were Hunter and Summer. Both were leaning on each other. Summer's shirt was torn at the bottom, and the entire front was covered in blood, and Hunter's face was still screwed up in pain. Everyone sprinted over to them. "You guys ok?" Blake asked as he went to Hunter's other side and helped to hold him up.  
  
"Yeah. Ya should've seen Summer, she sent Vexie boy running home with his tail between his legs." Hunter grinned. Summer laughed.  
  
"No one messes with my Hunter." She smiled, giving him a kiss.   
  
"Right, well, let's go before anymore of us get little battle wounds." Joey said.   
  
"Good idea." Tori nodded. Dustin looked at Marah.  
  
"They know you're on our side now." He said softly.  
  
"They're going to come after you. You do realize that, right?" He asked. Marah looked at him.  
  
"I was getting tired of that ship anyway." She smiled.   
  
"Besides, I wasn't about to let Fishy hurt my friends." Dustin smiled.  
  
"Welcome to the good side then." he said holding his hand out for her to take. Marah smiled.  
  
"At least I know I'm doing something right." Everyone began streaking back to  
  
Ninja Ops, Dustin's yellow streak encased by a purple one.  
  
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Summer and Hunter were the first to walk in and Summer immedality plopped herself down with a first aid kit on her pillow. She opened in and lifted her shirt and began cleaning the cut. Hunter lay down on his stomach, using his pillow to rest his head on. Summer winced in pain as the cotton dabbed with alcohol rubbed across her cut. Cyber Cam came out of somewhere.  
  
"Dude's...what's going on?" He called. Summer looked up and Cyber Cam saw that she was struggling to clean her cut.  
  
"Yo Summa! Wait till Cam gets back and he can stitch that up for you no problem." He called. Summer nodded and put her first aid kit aside and lay down beside Hunter. The others showed up. Cam went over to Summer.   
  
"Come on, let me try and take care of that cut." He said. Summer nodded as he pulled her to her feet. He helped her to another room in Opts. Cyber Cam saw Dustin and Marah enter together. He cocked his head to the side.  
  
"Why's the evil chick here?" He asked.  
  
"She's not evil, back off." Dustin snapped. Shane looked at Joey.  
  
"How's your hand?" He asked. Joey seemed distracted. She looked at him.   
  
"Huh? Oh, yeah, no big." She shrugged. Shane lifted it up and Joey hissed in pain. Shane looked at her.  
  
"Ok ok.... it hurts alright?" She asked. Shane nodded. She lifted her hand out of her grasp.  
  
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Summer lay on her back; her shirt rolled up so Cam could put the stitches in.  
  
"It's gonna hurt ok?" He asked softly. Summer nodded. Cam filled a needle up with a freezing substance, so she wouldn't feel it. He cleaned a spot not to far from her cut with alcohol and injected the substance.   
  
"Whoa." Summer said softly.   
  
"Feels weird." She said softly. Cam smiled and went on about sealing her wound. A little while later, she was stitched up.  
  
"I suggest you stay from wake boarding for a while." He said. Summer playfully groaned.  
  
"Oh, Cam, you're killing me." She smiled.   
  
"You'll survive." Cam said as he helped her up.   
  
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Shane looked at Joey.  
  
"If you want to call a rain check for tonight, I-" Shane began. Joey looked at him.  
  
"Why would I want to call a rain check? You're not backing out, are you?" She asked.   
  
"No, no, I just thought.....You know, your hand, and seeing Lothor." He replied. Joey flinched a bit, but hid it.  
  
"I don't give a shit about Lothor." She said lowly.   
  
"So, be at the house at 8, got it?" Shane gulped and nodded.   
  
"Uh, yeah." He said. Cam and Summer walked back in. Cam looked at Joey.  
  
"Is your hand OK?" He asked. Joey looked at him.   
  
"I'm fine." She snapped. Cam stepped back a bit, putting his hands up.   
  
]"Whoa, just a simple question." He said. Joey sighed.  
  
"It hurts, but I'm fine she told him." Cam looked at her. Joey threw her hands up in the air.  
  
"If you want to fix my hand, fine, lets go." She said. Cam chuckled and they went into the back room.  
  
----  
  
Summer placed herself gently back onto her pillow, which was now on the floor, beside Hunter. He turned over and lay on his back, ignoring the pain searing through it. He intertwined his fingers with Summer's.  
  
"Still hurt?" He asked quietly. Summer shrugged.  
  
"I had to have a needle to freeze it, but I can't really feel anything right now, I probably will later though." She replied. Hunter smiled and pushed himself into sitting position.  
  
"Ready?" He asked. Summer nodded. Both rangers pushed themselves into standing position. Blake looked at them.  
  
"You guys need any help?" He asked. The two looked at him.   
  
"No, we're fine." Hunter said.   
  
"But, uh, maybe you should stay over at Tori's tonight." Summer winked. The two left. Blake rolled his eyes.  
  
"They both get injured and their hormones don't suffer." He chuckled. Tori laughed.  
  
"Well, would you rather they didn't say anything and you heard them again?" She asked. Blake chuckled.   
  
"Good point." He said.   
  
"So, mind if I crash on your couch?" He asked Tori. Tori smiled.  
  
"If you want to." She said. Blake blinked, seeing the mischievous gleam in her eyes. He pulled at the collar of his Ninja uniform, feeling a little flushed.   
  
"Uh...right."  
  
"We're going to go." Tori said, looking at the others. She left, pulling Blake out with her.  
  
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Summer and Hunter walked out of Ninja Ops and through the forest.  
  
Hunter wrapped arm around her waist and pulled her close.  
  
"You gave me a real scare this afternoon." He told her gently. Summer looked up at him.  
  
"Sorry bout that.... It's just.... Vexacus tried to destroy you and I got angry....I love you too much to see you get hurt." She told him. Hunter nodded and kissed the crown of her head.  
  
"And you don't think I feel the same way?" He asked. Summer sighed.  
  
"I know you do.... But I had to take that chance." She told him.  
  
"I know.... And you kicked some monster ass doing it." Hunter joked. Summer smiled.  
  
"So what are our plans for tonight?" She asked. Hunter shrugged.  
  
"We haven't decided yet." He said leaning in for a kiss, which Summer returned graciously.  
  
"Well, we did send Blake away, so, we have the house to ourselves." Summer grinned, putting her arms around his waits. Hunter hissed a bit as she touched his back. Summer stepped back.  
  
"Oh, Hunter, I'm so sorry." She said. Hunter took a deep breath.   
  
"It's OK." He said. "Just a little sore." He added.   
  
"Come on, let's go home. I think I'm going to need a huge ice pack." He said. Summer nodded.  
  
"Yeah." She said. The two continued walking. Summer intertwined her fingers with his. He was very quiet, unnorally quiet for Hunter. Summer blinked and re-opened her eyes; the forest landscape in front of her was suddenly blurry. Blinking her eyes rapidly, she shook whatever was in them out and kept walking. Hunter looked at her, and shrugged it off as being worn out from the battle. Shortly thereafter, they reached Summer's car. Summer climbed into the drivers seat and Hunter climbed into the passenger seat. Summer rubbed at her eyes and went to start the car. She shifted gears and pulled away from the secret entrance to Ninja Ops. Hunter looked at her.  
  
"You ok?" He asked.   
  
"Yeah. Just a little..." Her voice trailed off.   
  
"Stop the car." He said. Summer pulled over and looked at him.   
  
"What?" She asked. Hunter looked at her. Her eyes seemed distant.  
  
"You look like you're about to fall asleep, or pass out." He said. Summer shook her head.  
  
"I'm fine." She said. She sighed.   
  
"That stuff that Cam gave me must bring on drowsiness...Wonderful." She sighed. Hunter looked at her.  
  
"I'm driving." He said. Summer sighed and nodded.  
  
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Cam was wrapping up Joey's hand. Joey looked at him.  
  
"You know a bit about Lothor, right?" She asked. Cam looked at her and shrugged.  
  
"All I know is he's evil, and wants to take over the world." He said. Joey blinked.  
  
"Do you think that that kind of stuff is hereditary?" She asked.   
  
"Why do you ask?" He asked. Joey shrugged.  
  
"Curious."   
  
"Well, I hope not." Cam replied.  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" Joey asked. Cam looked at her.   
  
"Lothor's real name is Kiya Wattanbe. I'm Cam Wattanbe. You do the math." He replied.  
  
"You're related to Lothor?" Joey asked, surprise.  
  
"He's my uncle." Cam said.   
  
"I met him on a little past trip. He and my dad are identical twins. But looks is all they have in common." He added.   
  
"He's evil, manipulative, greedy, power hungry." He looked at her.   
  
"Anyway, why are you so interested in him?"  
  
"It never hurts to know the enemy." Joey said. Cam nodded.  
  
"Guess your right." He replied  
  
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Summer opened the driver's side door and climbed out of it, she walked around the front of the car, and climbed into passenger seat. She placed a hand to her forehead and closed her eyes. Hunter closed his door and leaned over and closed hers.  
  
"Summer?" He asked gently. Summer looked at him, her eyes dropping slightly.  
  
"Yeah?" She replied.  
  
"What's wrong?" He asked gently. She squeezed her eyes shut.  
  
"Yeah.... Just a little dizzy.... I'll be fine." She told him. Hunter nodded and restarted the car. The soft humming of the engine and movement of the car lulled Summer to sleep. Hunter looked over at her as he drove. He smiled softly at how peaceful she looked. He pulled up in front of his home and shut off the car. He sighed. Any other time, he'd be glad to carry Summer in, but he knew he couldn't, his back hurt too much. He shook her shoulder gently.  
  
"Summer." He said softly. Summer's eyes fluttered opened.  
  
"Come on, let's get inside. I'm thinking a bed would be more comfortable." He smiled. Summer nodded sleepily.  
  
"Yeah your right." She said. She opened her door and began walking towards the house. She waited at the bottom of the stairs outside the house for Hunter to unlock the door. He locked it and he and Summer walked into the house. Summer yawned.  
  
"Ok.... Bed?" She asked. Hunter nodded.  
  
"I'll be up in a second. I want to get some aspirin." He told her. Summer nodded and set off upstairs. Hunter wandered into the kitchen and turned the taps on to get himself some water.  
  
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Summer strode sleepily into Hunter's room. She fumbled around for her red and black sweat pants and her white tank top. She ducked into the bathroom and changed into her new clothes. She exited the bathroom and tossed her Ninja Uniform into the corner. She pulled the covers back and climbed underneath them. She tried to wait for Hunter to come upstairs, but her eyes gently fluttered shut before he did. Hunter came up after he took some aspirin. He saw Summer sleeping peacefully. He changed into dark red boxers and a matching undershirt. He crawled into bed with her, lying on his side. He pulled her close and kissed the side of her forehead.  
  
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After Cam had wrapped up Joey's hand, everyone decided to go home. It was decided that Marah would stay at Ninja Opts with Cam and Sensei. Larissa and Joey walked into their house. Larissa looked at Joey.  
  
"I know you and Shane have a date tonight. So I'm going over to Ninja Opts." She said. Joey smirked.  
  
"Don't use me as an excuse to go visit your man." She said. Larissa blushed.   
  
"All right, all right." She said. The doorbell rang at 7:55. Joey had changed into a black top that bared her midriff and hip hugging flared jeans. She went to the door and opened it to see Shane standing there dressed in black pants and a red button down shirt with a single rose in his hand.   
  
"Hey." He said.  
  
"You're early." Joey smiled. She let him in. Shane handed her the rose. Joey smiled and brought it to her nose, inhaling the sweet scent. No one had ever given her a rose before, and she couldn't help feel a little giddy at that.  
  
"So, what movie shall we be viewing?" Shane asked. "Steel Magnolias? My Best Friend's Wedding?" He smirked. Joey laughed.   
  
"I'm not that cruel. I was thinking more along the lines of action/horror.  
  
Resident Evil." She said. Shane nodded.  
  
"Good choice, haven't seen that one yet." He told her. Joey smiled.  
  
"Me neither." She replied.  
  
"I bought the DVD a little while ago, but haven't gotten around to seeing it yet." She said. She went to the kitchen to make some popcorn. Shane followed.   
  
"So, how's your hand?" He asked. Joey nodded.  
  
"Good." She asked. Shane looked at her; he had been feeling a little worried about her since the Lothor attack.  
  
"Are you OK?" He asked.   
  
"You seem upset."   
  
"Upset? Why should I be upset?" Joey asked.  
  
"I don't know. Maybe seeing the man who took your mother got to you." He said softly. Joey gave a dry laugh.   
  
"Oh, no, I'm happy." She said softly.  
  
"Huh?" Shane asked.   
  
"Mmmhmm." She looked at Shane.   
  
"I thought my mom was my only family. Apparently, I was wrong." She said. Shane's eyebrows shot up.  
  
"Mind running that one by me again?" He asked.   
  
"Apparently, I've got a father, an uncle, and three cousins." Joey said.   
  
"You found out who your father is?" Shane asked, surprised.   
  
"When? How? Does anyone else know?" He asked.  
  
"Today, he basically told me, and no." Joey said. Shane walked over to her.   
  
"Well, come on, out with it. What's his name?" He asked.  
  
"Kiya." Joey replied.   
  
"So, did you talk to him?" Shane asked.   
  
"Does he know-"  
  
"That I'm the result of his crime? Uh huh." Shane gently grabbed Joey's arm, making her face him.  
  
"Just stop for a second, explain what's going on, will ya?" He said. Joey looked at him. Her eyes filled with tears.   
  
"What's there to explain?" She forced out. Shane looked at her.  
  
"Well how about staring from the beginning?" He asked gently. Joey let out a shaky breath and nodded.  
  
"Well, like I told you, my father's name is Kiya, and the dude's pure evil." She began. Shane nodded, telling her to continue.  
  
"Well.... and this is the shocker.... everyone knows who Kiya is..." She said. Shane looked at her as if she were a dragon.  
  
"What?" He asked. Joey ran her hands over her face.  
  
"My father...is..." She started. Shane held her hands.  
  
"Yeah?" He asked. Joey breathed inward.  
  
"Lothor." She told him.  
  
"Huh?" Shane stammered. Joey laughed bitterly.  
  
"Remember how you used to call me the spawn of Lucifer or whatever? Well, imagine the irony, I actually am." Joey said. Shane looked down. He looked back up at Joey. He went to hug her. Joey stepped away.   
  
"Don't touch me." She snarled.   
  
"I'm evil, you should be away from me."   
  
"You are not evil." Shane said. Joey laughed.  
  
"That's like saying the Queen of England isn't English." She replied.  
  
"There's evil in my blood, hence making me evil." She told him. Shane looked at her.  
  
"Just because he's evil doesn't mean you are." He said. Joey rolled her eyes.  
  
"Evil is, as evil does Shane." She snapped. Shane held up in hands in defeat.  
  
"Whatever you want to think, but I still think your not evil." he retorted. Joey rolled her eyes.  
  
"It's in my blood, and only a matter of time before I do become evil, try to rid the world of power rangers and attempt to take over the world." She responded. Joey looked at him.   
  
"So, if you want to leave and forget about this while date crap, go ahead." She said. Shane looked at her.  
  
"I don't believe you're evil. I don't care who your father is. I care about you. Do you understand that?" He asked. Tears streaked down Joey's cheeks. Shane went over and pulled her into his arms. Joey sobbed against him. Shane kissed the crown of her head again.  
  
"Joey... Just because he's evil, doesn't make you evil... You are a good person... So you like to kick some ass, a lot... That doesn't make you evil... You'll never be like him." He told her gently. Joey sniffed and looked at him.  
  
"You really believe that?" She asked. Shane nodded and hugged her again.  
  
"Of course I do." He replied. Joey smiled.  
  
"Well... as long as you think I'm not evil, that's all that matters." She replied.  
  
"So, are you going to tell everyone else yet? I dunno, maybe Sensei, Cam, or Marah? Since they are your family." Shane asked. Joey shook her head.  
  
"No. At least not yet. I just...I don't know.... I just can't tell them yet. I don't know how they'll react."  
  
"You told me." Shane said.   
  
"And I didn't turn my back on you or anything." He said.   
  
"I know. I just......." Her voice trailed off a bit. She blinked.  
  
"I just don't want to tell them yet." She said. Shane nodded, understanding.  
  
"I can accept that. Let me know when you want to tell them and I can be there for you. Alright?" He asked. Joey nodded and held his hand gently.  
  
"Thanks Shane." She replied. Shane smiled and hugged her as the popcorn finished popping.  
  
"Not a problem." He responded. Joey looked at the microwave, then back at Shane.  
  
"Suddenly, the idea of watching a bunch of zombies attack Mila Jovavich isn't too great." She smirked. Shane nodded.  
  
"Yeah. Do you need me to leave? Like, be alone or something?" He asked. Joey shook her head.  
  
"No." She said.   
  
"Stay. Please?" She asked. She rested her head against his shoulder. Shane hugged her.   
  
"I'll be here as long as you want me to be." He said. Shane led Joey up to her room. She slowly got into her bed and curled up in a fetal position, crying softly. It pained Shane to see her like this. He slowly got into bed next to her, sitting with his back against the wall. He gently scooped her in his arms. Her head and hands were resting against his chest. He softly stroked her hair.  
  
"Shane?" She said softly.  
  
"Yeah?" He asked.  
  
"Thank you. I know I've been difficult..and-"  
  
"Shhh." Shane said, holding her tighter. "Don't worry about that now." He said, kissing her forehead. Joey smiled softly. She was so lucky to have someone like Shane in her life. So sweet, so caring, an all around nice guy. She hugged him tighter. She only wished she could stop being so scared and let herself be happy with him.  
  
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"So, how was your date with Jo last night?" Tori asked Shane the next morning. They were walking along the beach. Tori was a little worried about him, he seemed troubled.  
  
"Huh? Oh, it was OK." He said.  
  
"Something wrong?" Tori asked. Shane shook his head.  
  
"So, did Blake tell you about the Halloween party at Storm Chargers?" Shane asked, desperate for a topic change. Tori nodded.  
  
"Yeah. We're thinking about coordinating our outfits together." She said. Shane pretended to gag and chuckled.  
  
"Dressing up together, how incredibly sweet." He said. Tori laughed and playfully shoved him.  
  
"What are you planning on going as?" She asked him. Shane shrugged.  
  
"Haven't decided yet...Maybe Daredevil." He joked. Tori smiled.  
  
"Would that mean that if you went with Joey, she'd be your Electra?" Tori joked. Shane blushed.  
  
"I guess so yah." He replied.  
  
"So, the date last night did go well." Tori mused.  
  
"I don't know. I mean, I guess it did...It's not like we've discussed whether we're a couple or just.."  
  
"Friend's who occasionally kiss?" Tori asked.  
  
"I knew telling you about the kisses would come back to haunt me." Shane joked. Tori smiled.  
  
"Anyway, I can so see her as Electra." Tori smiled.  
  
"Why's that?" Came a voice. Tori and Shane turned to see Joey behind them.  
  
"Hey." Shane smiled.  
  
"Hey." Tori said.  
  
"Hey guys. Now, why am I being compared to a comic book character?" Joey asked.  
  
"Halloween party at storm chargers. I was saying that if Shane goes as Daredevil, you'd go as Electra." Tori said. Joey looked at her shocked. Tori didn't seem to notice. She looked at her watch. "Oh, I've got to go. Blake and I are going to the costume shop for ideas, I'm supposed to go pick him up from work. See ya." She said as she jogged to her van. Shane turned to Joey.  
  
"Is that you're way of asking me to the party?" Joey asked. Shane sighed sheepishly.  
  
"No, I wanted to ask you directly." They walked together.  
  
"Don't." Joey said.  
  
"Huh?" Shane asked.  
  
"I don't want to reject you, so don't ask." She said. Shane stopped and looked at her.  
  
"Well, if you don't want to reject you can always say-"  
  
"Shane, I'm not in a dress up like an idiot and party kind of mood." She snapped. Shane held his hands up defensively.  
  
"Alright. I'm sorry." He said. Joey sighed and looked out over the ocean. Shane approached her cautiously.  
  
"What's wrong?" He asked gently. Joey turned around and looked at him.  
  
"The same thing we discussed last night." She whispered. Shane hugged her gently from behind. He rested his chin on her shoulder softly.  
  
"I'm sorry. I don't want to push you, especially not now that you're going through something so rough." He whispered against her cheek. Joey sighed and let her eyes drift shut softly. She felt so good in his arms. The feel of his cool fresh breath on her skin was intoxicating.  
  
"I shouldn't have snapped." She said. "I just...need some quiet time to myself." She said. Shane nodded, understanding and stepped back.  
  
"I understand, you need time to think about how this new development is going to effect you." He said. Joey turned to him.  
  
"What? You don't think that just because I found out he's the one who knocked up my mom that I'm suddenly going to switch sides, do you?" She asked.  
  
"No. I just mean, it's going to be harder to fight against your fath-"  
  
"If anything, it's making me want to kill him even more." Joey snarled. Shane looked into her eyes. She had the murderous look flowing through them.  
  
"No need to be that drastic" He said. Joey raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Oh yes I forgot... He raped my mother and I'm supposed to be all honkey- dory about it... Well excuse me for actually wanting to do something!" She screamed at him. Shane gave her a hard look.  
  
"I'm not saying you have to skip over to him and play happy daddy and daughter, but killing him won't erase the past." Shane said.  
  
"Maybe not, but it sure will make the present and future sweeter."  
  
"How do you know that? Or even more important, what makes you think you can kill him?" He said.  
  
"Excuse me? Doubting my abilities, are you?" She asked, somewhat offended.  
  
"No, of course not, it's just that Lothor's like the big bad. He could kill you before you even had the chance to pull out a weapon. I don't want that to happen to you." He said sincerely. Joey's face softened. She looked down, tears brimmed her eyes. Shane gently cupped her face. "He hurt your mother, and hurt you, but I'm not going to let him hurt all of us by taking you away from our lives. From my life." He went to kiss her. Joey stepped back quickly. Shane looked at her.  
  
"I can't. I'm sorry." She said.  
  
"What? But.."  
  
"Remember the promise you made, one date, if it didn't work out, that would be the end of that." Joey said.  
  
"It didn't work because you don't want it to work, that's not fair." Shane protested. Joey blinked and looked at him coldly.  
  
"No one said life was fair." She said. She turned around and walked away.  
  
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Tori jogged into Storm Chargers and crashed into someone she hadn't seen in almost 6 months.  
  
"Dill! Hey!" She said happily. Dill smiled.  
  
"Tori hey... How's it goin'?" He asked. Tori smiled.  
  
"It's going great! You?" She asked. It was Dill's turn to smile.  
  
"Can't complain." He responded. Summer was standing behind the counter and looked up to see Tori talking to some guy other than Blake. She turned to Dustin.  
  
"Hey Dustin? Who's that guy Tori's talking to?" She asked. Dustin looked up and turned to Summer.  
  
"That would be Dill... He used to like Tori." He said. Summer nodded and went back to work.  
  
"Where have you been?" Tori asked Dill. "It's like you fell off the edge of the Earth." She smiled.  
  
"Went to Utah. My grandmother was sick and I wanted to go take care of her." He said.  
  
"Oh. Everything's all right, I hope." She said. Dill smiled at how sweet she was.  
  
"Yeah, she's fine." He said. Blake came out of the stockroom after clocking out. He was going to go to the costume shop with Tori. He stopped when he saw Tori talking to a guy. Although, to him, it seemed a bit too much like flirting. He went over to them.  
  
"So, I've missed you, I'd really love it if we could get together and catch up." Dill said.  
  
"She's busy." Blake said as he got to them. Dill looked at him.  
  
"Huh?" He said. Tori looked at Blake. He had an angry look in his eyes. Oh great, she thought. He's getting possessive and jealous. Wonderful.  
  
"Uh, yeah, maybe some other time." Tori said. "I'm busy right now. I'll call you." She said. Dill nodded.  
  
"OK, well, see you around." He said as he left. Tori stared at Blake.  
  
"What was that all about?" She asked.  
  
"You're not calling him." He said. Tori's eyes widened.  
  
"Excuse me?" She said. "I know you were not just trying to order me around." She said. Summer and Dustin looked up from working.  
  
"Uh oh." Summer said.  
  
"This can't be good." Dustin said.  
  
"Well, yeah, I don't want you to call him. You're my girlfriend, you shouldn't be calling other guys." Blake said. Tori crossed her arms over her chest.  
  
"Is that so? Well, thank you for clearing that up for me." She said. Blake smiled.  
  
"No problem." He said.  
  
"Find someone else to go to the party with you." Tori yelled as she turned and stormed out of the store. Blake's smile disappeared and his heart sank. Summer raised an eyebrow, again and looked at Dustin.  
  
"You want to deal with Tori? Or me?" She asked. Dustin looked at her.  
  
"You can.... She's more likely to talk to you because you're a girl." He replied. Summer rolled her eyes and smiled.  
  
"Have fun with Blake." She said, walking out of Storm Chargers. She saw Tori growling as she went to her van. Summer took off running after Tori.  
  
"Tori! Wait!" She called out. Tori flung open the door to her van and gave Summer a look and slammed it shut. As Summer was reaching the van, Tori shoved the key into the ignition and flung the vechal into reverse and sped away. Summer stood in the dust as Tori left. She frowned.  
  
"Ok, so Tori's really upset." She told herself. She dug into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone. She punched in Hunter's cell phone number and pressed the tiny machine against her ear. Summer listened impatiently as the phone rang. Finally on the 5th ring, Hunter answered.  
  
"Hello?" He asked. Summer growled into the phone.  
  
"Where are you?" She demanded.  
  
"Uh....Renting costumes for the Halloween Bash at Storm Chargers... Why?" He responded. Summer snorted angrily.  
  
"And you were planning on just picking out a costume for me to wear without even discussing it with me?" She spat. Hunter gulped.  
  
"I wanted it to be a surprise." He said truthfully. Summer laughed again.  
  
"Oh you'll get a surprise.... You'll be surprised when I don't show up at home tonight! Goodbye Hunter." She thundered into the phone. Putting it into the off position. She shoved it back into her pants and streaked off towards Tori's house.  
  
Hunter looked at the phone oddly and sighed.  
  
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Summer reached Tori's house just as Tori pulled up into her driveway. Tori screeched on her brakes to avoid hitting her. She jumped out of the car.  
  
"Are you fucking insane?!" She screamed. "I could've flattened you like a pancake!" Summer bit her lip.  
  
"I'm sorry. I just thought you needed someone to talk to." She said.  
  
"If I did, I would've said so, which I haven't." Tori said. Summer sighed.  
  
"Come on Tori. I was there, I saw the fight you had with Blake."  
  
"And you're going to tell me I should go back and say I'm sorry?" Tori asked bitterly.  
  
"Hell no." Summer said, Tori looked at her oddly. "Blake had no right getting all possessive and shit. You're his girlfriend yes, but you're still a person with your own freewill." Tori sighed shakily.  
  
"Well at least I have someone on my side." She said. Summer nodded and bit her lip again. Tori looked at her oddly.  
  
"What's wrong with you?" She asked. A few tears fell down Summer's cheek's.  
  
"Guys suck." She spat angrily. Tori's eyes widened.  
  
"OK, inside we go... Your going to explain to me why you think guys suck." Tori said leading Summer in the direction of the front door.  
  
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"Marah?" Came Dustin's voice. Marah stood at the edge of a cliff not too far from Ninja Opts. She simply stood there, letting the wind touch her skin. She heard Dustin's approaching footsteps. "You shouldn't stand so close to the edge, you might fall." He said. Marah sighed.  
  
"Would that be so bad?" She asked. Dustin looked at him oddly. He slowly walked over and took her hand in his, pulling her back a bit.  
  
"Yes, it would." He said softly.  
  
"I'm sorry." She said. "I just....I stand here and I think about how I've played a part in my uncle's plans to take over the world, and I'm sick with myself. It's like these pinpricks in my heart. This uncomfortable queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach." She sighed. "I think I've developed some sort of disease." She fretted. Dustin smiled and pulled her into a hug from behind.  
  
"Oh yeah, a terrible sickness." He said. Marah paled.  
  
"Oh god, am I going to die?" She asked.  
  
"No, I think you'll just feel bad for a while." He said.  
  
"What's this sickness called?" She asked.  
  
"Remorse." He replied. Marah glared at him.  
  
"Not funny." She said.  
  
"It wasn't meant to be funny Marah." He said kissing her cheek gently. He looked at her. Marah could see there was something more on his mind.  
  
"What?" She asked.  
  
"I think you need some fun time." He said. Marah looked at him suspiciously.  
  
"What do you have in mind?" She asked.  
  
"Halloween party. Go with me?" He asked. Marah couldn't help smile at the look of worry he might get rejected he had. She nodded.  
  
"OK.Sounds like fun. I mean.I'll try not to make a fool of myself and all." Dustin smiled.  
  
"It's a Halloween party, you're required to do so." He joked. Marah laughed.  
  
"So, what are you going to dress up as?" She asked. Dustin shrugged.  
  
"Not sure." He said. Marah thought for a second. She smiled.  
  
"I think I might have an idea."  
  
"What's that?" He asked. Marah grinned mischievously.  
  
"It's a surprise. I'll go to the costume shop and see if I can find it." She went to walk away, then stopped. "By the way, are you all right with wearing tights?" She asked. Dustin paled.  
  
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Hunter turned Summer's car into the parking lot of Storm Chargers. He slammed the door shut and went into Storm Chargers. He opened the door and saw Blake looked very angry with himself standing behind the counter ringing in a purchase. He went over to him.  
  
"I just got a call from my girlfriend. She seemed rather on edge. What did you say to her?" He asked. Blake looked at him.  
  
"What? I didn't say anything to her. But, of course, everything's my fault. Apparently everything I say to the female gender is terrible." Blake snapped, slamming the register shut and walking away. The customer looked at Hunter and then took their purchase. Hunter followed his brother.  
  
"What happened?" He asked his younger brother, who sighed.  
  
"Some guy, whom I found out from Dustin to be Dill, Tori's like kind of ex boyfriend, came in... And I got all protective of Tori, and she said I could find another person to take to the dance, and then she left... And Summer followed her... After that.... I don't know what happened." Hunter sighed.  
  
"I think I get it now." He said.  
  
"Well, mind explaining it to me? Cause I'm lost."  
  
"Did you happen to be a tad overbearing?" He asked.  
  
"No." Blake said. Hunter looked at him. Blake sighed. "Perhaps." He said, giving in. Hunter nodded.  
  
"And I was buying costumes for me and Summer without her consent...So my guess is, she felt that I was trying to be controlling or something, like you did with Tori."  
  
"But I wasn't!" Blake said. "At least...that wasn't my intention." Blake said.  
  
"It wasn't mine either." Hunter told Blake. They both sighed.  
  
"So what else did Summer have to say?" Blake asked. Hunter's face paled.  
  
"She said it would be a surprise when she didn't show up at home tonight." He said. Blake gave him a sympathic look.  
  
"When it comes to love, we're clueless." He sighed. Hunter grunted in agreement.  
  
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"They're clueless!" Summer exclaimed. She and Tori were sitting on her couch, sharing a pint of ice cream.  
  
"Uh huh." Tori nodded.  
  
"They don't think before they talk." Summer said.  
  
"Exactly." Tori said.  
  
"And they think 'surprise for you' is the get out of jail free card when they make decisions without us."  
  
"Don't forget think you're their property." Tori added bitterly, jabbing her spoon in the pint, no doubt pretending it was Blake's head. "I mean, Blake might as well had lifted his leg and really marked me as his territory in front of Dill."  
  
"He sucks. Hunter sucks." Summer said.  
  
"Amen to that sister." Tori replied. Summer looked down.  
  
"But....I love Hunter." She sighed. Tori groaned.  
  
"Oh god, I love Blake, I just didn't want to be the first to say it." Tori replied. Summer looked at him.  
  
"You love him?" She asked.  
  
"Yes!"  
  
"Does he know?"  
  
"Uh..Define know?" Tori said.  
  
"hmmm... To understand your feelings and feel the same way." Summer responded. Tori made a face.  
  
"Then no, he doesn't." Tori responded.  
  
Summer sighed.  
  
"You're going to have to tell him." She told Tori.  
  
"After that caveman display at the store? Doubtful." Tori replied. Summer sighed.  
  
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"You sure we should be doing this?" Blake asked. He and Hunter were approaching Tori's door. They guessed Summer was there as well.  
  
"No, but, what else can we do?" He asked. He knocked on Tori's door.  
  
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Tori's head snapped towards the door and she glared at it.  
  
"Tori, you don't even know who's there... Why are you glaring at it?" Summer asked. Tori turned back and looked at Summer.  
  
"Because I have a feeling I know who's there... Can you answer the door?" She asked. Summer nodded and made a move for the door. She opened the door and saw Hunter and Blake standing there. Hunter whipped out a bundle of pink carnations and presented them to her. Summer looked at him, then the flowers, then back at him. She then grabbed the edge of Tori's door and slammed in the boys' faces. Both boys winced as the door slammed shut.  
  
"Well that went well." Blake said to Hunter, who sighed.  
  
"You're telling me." He replied.  
  
"Who was it?" Tori asked, although she already knew the answer to that one.  
  
"Dumb and Dumber." Summer replied.  
  
"Which one's which?" Tori asked. Summer flopped back on the couch next to her.  
  
"Does it matter?" She asked. "You know he tried to get me to forgive him with flowers?!" Summer exclaimed.  
  
"Guys just don't get it." Tori mumbled angrily. Summer nodded.  
  
"They're too dumb to understand females." She replied. There was another knock on the door.  
  
"Go away!" Tori yelled.  
  
Hunter and Blake sighed.  
  
"Well, what do we do now?" Blake asked. Hunter shrugged.  
  
"They're going to have to come out sometime." Hunter replied.  
  
"Either that or we have to get in somehow." Blake replied.  
  
"Are you suggesting we break in?" Hunter asked. Blake nodded. "Uh, we're trying to get them to forgive us, not kill us." Hunter pointed out. Blake sighed.  
  
"Got any other ideas?" He asked.  
  
"Wait 'em out?" Hunter suggested.  
  
"You do realize that they might stay in there forever right?" Blake replied. Hunter sighed.  
  
"Well right now, our options are losing are girlfriends, or breaking into Tori's house... Which do you think is the better idea?" Hunter asked his younger brother.  
  
"Hey, I liked the breaking in idea." Blake said.  
  
"Fine, but if they're pissed, I'm telling them it was your idea and running far far away." Hunter said.  
  
"Scared of Summer?" Blake smirked.  
  
"Fuck yeah. You didn't see the jewel crunch she did to Shane the day after he slapped Joey!" Hunter replied. Blake paled slightly.  
  
"So, you'd let your baby bro take that while you run away?" He asked.  
  
"I'd rather not say, the response might shatter our bro relationship." Hunter said. Blake rolled his eyes.  
  
"Gee, thanks." Blake said. He walked over to the side of the house and saw the open window by Tori's bedroom."  
  
"I think we can get in through here." Blake told Hunter. Hunter pried the window open and gave Blake a boost through the window. Blake crashed to the floor painfully.  
  
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"Did you hear something?" Tori asked Summer, who was practically shoving the ice cream down her throat.  
  
"Hear what?" She asked. Tori shrugged. "Guess it was my imagination." Tori replied.  
  
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"You OK?" Hunter asked through the window. Blake sat up and rubbed his shoulder.  
  
"Think so." He said. He helped Hunter climb in through the window. Blake and Hunter looked around Tori's room.  
  
"Ok now what?" Hunter asked. Blake shrugged.  
  
"Again two options... Go downstairs now, and prepare to die... Or wait a couple hours till they go to bed, then go." Blake told Hunter.  
  
"This is Tori's room, she'll come in here, see us, and we die. Besides, if we climbed in here, just to run away, what was the point?"  
  
"Hey, I came up with the getting in here plan, you do the rest!" Blake hissed.  
  
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"OK, seriously, I did hear something." Tori said. Summer set the ice cream down and whipped her mouth.  
  
"Yeah, so did I."  
  
"It came from my room." Tori said.  
  
"Oh my god... Do you think someone broke in?" Summer asked. Tori's eyebrows raised.  
  
"I think so..." She replied. Summer's eyes went wide.  
  
"What are we going to do?" She hissed. Tori thought about it for a minute.  
  
"Grab the phone and an umbrella by the door, and we'll take em." She replied. Summer nodded and picked the portable phone up off its jack and grabbed an umbrella from the door, where as Tori grabbed a bat. Tori motioned her to be quiet as the two crept to the room.  
  
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Blake heard footsteps on the floor approaching Tori's room. He looked at Hunter and motioned for him to hide. Hunter took the opportunity to dive under Tori's bed, whereas Blake made a mad-dash for her closet. Tori heard something slam shut and she tensed. She looked at Summer.  
  
"You can go first." She told her. Summer rolled her eyes.  
  
"Thanks Tori." She muttered. Summer slowly entered the room, and saw that it was empty. She signaled Tori to come in. Tori walked in.  
  
"Guess it was our imagination." Tori said. Summer sighed.  
  
"Guess so, man do I feel dumb." She said, laughing nervously. Tori smiled.  
  
"Wanna check the other rooms just to be sure?" She asked. Summer nodded.  
  
"That would make me feel a lot better." She replied.  
  
Tori set off towards the guest bedroom, and Summer set off towards the Office/other guest room.  
  
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Hunter poked his head out from underneith her Tori's bed and shoved himself out. He took off out of Tori's room and into the bathroom. Blake took this opportunity to slam open the doors to Tori's closet and dive under the bed. At the same time, Hunter by accident kicked the door closed behind him. Tori and Summer ran from the rooms they were in and stopped in front of Tori's room, and the bathroom. They looked at each other.  
  
"OK, someone's in here." Summer said.  
  
"Maybe the guys are still outside..We should get them." Tori said.  
  
"And show them we're scared little girls who need big strong men to protect them? Don't think so." Summer said.  
  
"But Summer, we are scared little girls." Tori pointed out.  
  
"Yeah, but they don't need to know that." Summer said.  
  
"So what do you suggest we do?" Tori questioned. Summer shrugged.  
  
"Go Ninja on their asses." She responded. Tori nodded thoughtfully.  
  
"Good plan." She replied.  
  
"Actually... Lets just beat them senseless." Summer suggested. Tori nodded.  
  
"I'd still rather get the guys." Tori said. Summer sighed.  
  
"Alight, I'll get the guys... you stay here." She said. Tori gave her a weird look.  
  
"How bout I get the guys, you stay here?" Tori responded.  
  
Summer sighed.  
  
"Alight fine... But if it turns out those people are in here and I die.... Well I'll hunt you down in my afterlife and beat you!" Summer said. Tori smiled.  
  
"You do that." She said as she left.  
  
Blake heard the door shut and figured the girls had left. He pushed himself out from under the bed and quickly opened the door of Tori's room to leave. He didn't know Summer was still there. Summer heard the door open and spun around, screaming. Her instincts took over and she kicked the intruder in the face. Tori froze when she heard Summer screaming and ran back into the house.  
  
Tori practically flew up the stairs and was about to turn into her room, when she collided with a tall dark figure, causing her to go tumbling to the ground. She screamed loudly kicked his legs out from under his body. He fell to the ground landing on his back with an "umph" and proceeded to get up. Tori kicked him in the solar plex, and the other "intruder" tumbled down the stairs.  
  
"OW!" The intruders said. Tori went over to Summer.  
  
"You OK?" She asked. Summer nodded.  
  
"You?" She asked. Tori agreed. They looked over to where the two intruders were lying, and gasped.  
  
"Hunter?" Summer asked, shocked.  
  
"Blake?" Tori asked.  
  
"What the fuck do you think you were doing?!" Summer screeched at them both. Hunter groaned out something audible and Blake held his nose.  
  
"We were trying to apologize!" Blake said defensively. Tori glared at him.  
  
"SO this is you apology? By breaking into my house?! Your fucking lucky I don't call the cops on you both!" Tori snarled.  
  
"Hey, it was his idea." Hunter groaned. "And if I could move, I'd run away right now."  
  
"Dude, shut up." Blake groaned. "You two wouldn't let us in, so we had to find a way to talk to you." Blake explained.  
  
"And breaking and entering was what you came up with?" Summer asked.  
  
"It was Blake's idea." Hunter piped up. Tori spun and looked at Hunter.  
  
"I don't give a flying fuck whose idea it was! The fact that you two committed B and E!!! I really should call the cops." She snarled.  
  
"No, don't." Blake sighed. He struggled to get to his feet, groaning as he did so. "We'll leave. We're both sorry. Sorry for breaking in, sorry for being jerks, sorry for everything. We'll leave you both alone." He said. Hunter stood up.  
  
"Yeah. I guess I'll bring your stuff Summer, since you probably want to go back to Joey and Larissa's or stay here or something." Hunter said. Summer and Tori's faces softened. Their intentions were good, even if they did do something stupid. They looked down.  
  
"Wait." She said softly. The two guys looked at her. Tori went over to Blake. "You're bleeding, come on." She said. She took Blake's arm gently and led him to the bathroom. Summer looked at Hunter. She walked over to him.  
  
"Summer, I'm an idiot, I know that, you want to break up with me, right? Just say it." He said softly. Summer looked at him. She took his hand gently and led him to the couch.  
  
"Sit." She said softly. Hunter did so. Summer went and got ice from Tori's kitchen. She wrapped the ice in a cloth and carried it back into the living room. She sat down next to Hunter and held the cold substance against Hunter's jaw.  
  
"Ow!" He whimpered. Summer smiled softly.  
  
"Sorry." She mumbled, casting her glance downward and to the side. She sighed. "Hunter, you're not an idiot. I am." She said.  
  
"Not possible." Hunter hissed softly though his pain. "I'm a pigheaded jackass and I shouldn't have gone to the costume shop without consulting you." Summer giggled softly.  
  
"I guess I wanted some say in what costume you were getting." She replied. Hunter sighed.  
  
"All I wanted to do was surprise you." He whispered. Summer gently leaned in and kissed his cheek, careful not to cause him any pain.  
  
"I'm sorry. I guess I'm not used to getting surprised and I saw it as you trying to dictate everything." Summer said.  
  
"I'd never." Hunter said softly. "You're a free thinking person, and that's one of the things I love so much about you." He said. Summer smiled.  
  
"I love you too." She said.  
  
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Tori made Blake sit on the toilet and tilted his head back. She took a washcloth and stood over him, cleaning up his face.  
  
Blake whimpered and whined as Tori swiped over the newly forming burses on his handsome face.  
  
"You do realize that if you'd stop moving so much, it might not hurt as much." She suggested gently.  
  
"Why are you so concerned? You broke up with me." Blake said.  
  
"I did?" Tori asked.  
  
"Well...Yeah...I mean...Didn't you? You said I should find someone else to go to the party with, and didn't want to talk to me." He said.  
  
"So that constitutes breaking up?" Tori asked. She shook her head and continued 'fixing' his face. "I didn't break up with you... at least not intentionally." She told him. He grunted.  
  
"Could have fooled me." He replied. Tori flung the cloth into the sink.  
  
"Do it yourself Blake! I don't need your bullshit... I'm trying to be nice and your treating me like the fucking wicked witch of the west!" She cried angrily. Blake sighed.  
  
"I'm sorry." He said softly. Tori crossed her arms and turned away from him.  
  
"You should be." She replied. "I mean, why the hell did you have to get so possessive of me? Blake, I'm your goddamn girlfriend, not your servant. You DO NOT tell me who I can or can not speak to." Tori said. Blake looked downward.  
  
"I thought.... I dunno I guess I was just jealous." He said quietly. Tori sighed.  
  
"Why? What, did you think I was just going to drop you like some hot potato and shack up with some other guy?" Blake closed his eyes, he felt tears building up in them.  
  
"I don't know." Blake said softly. "Tori, everyone I've loved, except Hunter, I've lost..And I was just afraid that I'm going to loose you too." He whispered. Tori froze. Did he just say...Love? Tori slowly turned around and looked at him.  
  
"Could you repeat what you just said?" She asked quietly. Blake sighed.  
  
"I can't loose you Tori.... I.... I love you." He replied. Tori looked at him.  
  
"Are you serious?" She asked. He nodded.  
  
"Yeah, I am." He replied. Tori bent down and captured his lips in a passionate kiss. Blake pulled back, shocked.  
  
"What's going on?" He asked.  
  
"I love you too." She said softly. She looked at him. "But don't you ever tell me what to do again, got it?"  
  
"As you wish." He said. Tori looked at him, as if she had suddenly been struck by an idea. "What?" He asked.  
  
"I just got an idea for the Halloween costume." She said as she went to kiss him. 


	23. Finding True Love Final Chapter of sto...

Larissa sat with her feet curled up underneath her body, staring over Cam's shoulder in Ninja Ops, trying to learn the very complicated system.  
  
"... And by typing in a few simple commands, you can call the Zords from their respective places, and send them to the rangers within seconds." Cam finished. Larissa scratched her head.  
  
"I think I understand." She replied. Cam smiled.  
  
"It's a lot to learn in a short amount of time I realize that Larissa... But it's all worthwhile information." He told her gently. Larissa smiled and nodded.  
  
"It's just so much to take in all at once." She explained to the Samurai, who nodded.  
  
"It'll probably take some time to get a hang of." She commented. Cam smiled at her.  
  
"Well, what do you say to taking a break?" He asked. Larissa looked at him. She saw the glint of mischief in his eyes. She grinned. "What'd you have in mind?" She asked. Cam smiled and leaned into her. They were about to kiss when they heard someone clearing their throat. They separated to see Joey standing at the entrance of Ninja Ops.  
  
"Uh...Hey." Cam said sheepishly. "Sorry, interrupting something?" She asked sarcastically. Larissa shook her head. "No, he was just letting me get acquainted with the equipment." Larissa said. Joey smirked meanly. "I bet." She said. Larissa smiled innocently.  
  
"Well he was." She told Joey who laughed.  
  
"Is that what they're calling it nowadays?" Joey retorted. Larissa blushed furiously. Cam smirked.  
  
"What can we do for you?" He asked the Black Ranger, who shrugged.  
  
"Got a place that I can hide from Shane?" She asked.  
  
"Hide?" Larissa asked.   
  
"Thought things were going OK." "Guess you were wrong." Joey replied, shrugging. She wandered into the room, walking around aimlessly. She paused when she saw a framed picture of a man and woman holding a baby. Her eyes narrowed at the man in the picture. Larissa and Cam saw her face get a little pale.  
  
"Jo?" Cam asked. "That face..." She whispered almost inaudibly. "What?" Larissa asked. "Who...Who is that?" Joey asked. Cam stood up and walked over.  
  
"My mom, dad, me." Cam said.   
  
"Something wrong?" He asked. Joey turned and looked at him and smile wirily.  
  
"Nope! Everything's perfectly fine! I'm going to go now. Bye guys!" Joey said, before taking off out of Ninja Ops full speed. Cam and Larissa stared after her.  
  
"That was weird." Cam commented. Larissa nodded. It was a little too weird to see Joey take off running like that, unless she had a good excuse. She'd ask her at home tonight. Joey ran out of Ninja Opts and into the woods. She fell against a tree, sinking to her knees in tears. "Joey?" Came a voice. Joey knew who it was. "Go away, Shane." She sobbed gently. Shane knelt beside her.  
  
"Come on, talk to me." He said softly. Joey looked at him. "I saw him." She said. Shane's eyes widened. "Lothor? Where? What happened?" He asked. Joey shook her head. "No..... A picture...It was Sensei...But, his face..." She wiped at her tears.   
  
"Their identical twins, that just makes my life so much easier." She said bitterly. Shane's face softened.  
  
"Is there anything I can do?" He asked gently. Joey shook her head.  
  
"Unless you can change who he is, then no." She replied. Shane sighed.  
  
"I wish I could help you Jo." He said. Joey stood up. "But you can't. You can't help me. No one can help me, so just leave me the hell alone!" She yelled. She took of running full speed again, leaving Shane in the dust.  
  
~ * ~ *  
  
Summer removed the ice pack from Hunter's cheek and smiled softly. She gave him a quick peck on the lips and went into the kitchen to get rid of the ice. When she returned she stopped at the stairs and yelled up them to Tori.  
  
"Hey Tori! Hunter and I are going to costume shopping ok? We'll see you guys later!" Summer yelled. Hunter wandered over to where Summer was standing and took her hand in his and smiled lovingly.  
  
"Ready?" He asked. She nodded and they set out for her car.  
  
"So, what was your idea for a costume?" Summer asked. Hunter smiled. "You'll see." He said. Summer let him have her keys and he drove them to the costume shop. When they arrived they exited Summer's car and started for the entrance to the shop. Summer glanced into the shop's window and noticed that there was a lot of Lord of the Rings costumes.  
  
"Seems Lord of the Rings is a huge hit with costume's this year." She said to Hunter who smiled and nodded. They walked in. Summer saw a parent and their little kid picking out a hobbit costume and smiled at how cute it was. Hunter smiled and took her hand. He led her deeper into the shop where the adult outfits were. She saw flapper costumes, hippie costumes, disco outfits, nurses, doctors, everything. Summer looked at Hunter. "What, naughty nurse and Dr. Feel good?" She joked. Hunter laughed. "Hmm, maybe next year." He said. Summer rolled her eyes.  
  
"Are we there yet?" She whined in the best 3-year-old voice she could muster. Hunter looked at her strangely.  
  
"I thought you were supposed to be 17, not 3." He said. Summer laughed.  
  
"Very funny." She said.   
  
"It's just that we've been walking here forever. I'm beginning to get anxious about the costumes you picked out." Hunter smiled. "We're here." He said. "Ah, Hunter you're back." Said a guy as he walked over to them.   
  
"Dude, what happened to you?" He asked, seeing Hunter's slightly bruised face.  
  
"Oh, fell down some stairs." Hunter said. "Summer, this is Mark. We met at the track a few weeks ago and he works here. Mark this is my girlfriend Summer." Mark smiled at Summer. "Great to finally put a face to the name Hunter's been ramming into all of our heads." He joked. Summer giggled.  
  
"Nice to meet you Mark. Can't really say that Hunter's ever mentioned you. Sorry." She finished sheepishly. Mark waved the comment off.  
  
"It's alright. I'll give you your costume, and Hunter can go stark naked." Mark said. Summer burst out laughing and Hunter blushed.  
  
"She'd like that too much." Hunter told Mark. Summer smacked him lightly.  
  
"Perhaps at home, don't think I like the idea of all those party goers goggling you." Summer smiled sweetly. Mark rolled his eyes. "It's not Halloween yet and already I'm overdosing on the sweet just by standing by you two." He laughed, shaking his head. He went over to behind the counter and came back with two outfits. One outfit looked a lot like something out of Lord of The Rings in a Crimson color. The other was a long pink beautiful flowing gown with a crown that looked like it was made of flowers hanging in a bag from the hanger.   
  
"One Arwen and Aragorn costume set for the lovebirds." He smiled. Summer was awestruck. Hunter thanked and paid Mark for the costumes and they set back towards the car.  
  
"You got Arwen and Aragorn costume's?" Summer asked, very surprised that Hunter had guessed one of her all time favorite books, and movies. She had always wanted to be Arwen for Halloween at the Academy, but it was a little difficult to find a guy, or girl for that matter that would dress up as Aragorn. Hunter smiled at his girlfriend. He walked around to the trunk and gently laid the costume's down on the bottom of the trunk and closed it. He walked around to the drivers seat and plopped himself down next to Summer.  
  
"You like them?" He asked. Summer turned to face him.  
  
"I love them." She smiled. Hunter smiled. "Lord of The Rings was one of my dad's favorite series. I remember he'd read the books to Blake and I when we were kids. I thought it'd be awesome to dress up as Aragorn for Halloween, but, unfortunately, little brothers aren't always keen on the idea of dressing up like an elf girl." He said, chuckling slightly. Summer smiled.  
  
"I thought you would have forced him." Summer responded giggling slightly. Hunter laughed.  
  
"I never thought of doing that!" He admitted. Summer smiled and took his hand in her's. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes.  
  
"Sleepy?" Hunter asked. Summer shrugged.  
  
"Fighting and shopping, it's been a long afternoon." She replied softly.  
  
"So, we should head home, huh?" He asked. Summer smiled and nodded. Hunter kissed her forehead and the two got into the car. Hunter drove them home. (((((((((((((((((((((()))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) )))))))))))))))))))(((((((((((((((((((((  
  
Shane walked to Joey's house. He had to talk to her, but he knew she wouldn't let him in. He remembered there was a window in Joey's studio/the basement. Shane slowly lifted up the window and slid into the room, careful not to step on or hit any of Joey's things. He left the basement and walked around the house.  
  
"Joey?" He called out. He walked over to her room. It was empty. There was a soft thudding sound and music coming from above him. He paused. There was nothing above the bedrooms, was there?   
  
"The attic." He mattered to himself. He went over to where the stairs were and pulled them down. He could hear the thudding get louder and he heard soft panting as well. He slowly crept up the stairs and saw Joey doing some sort of kata to "Return Of Innocence" by Enigma with something in her hands. She twirled the objects gracefully. Shane realized it was a set of sies. Shane stood by a pillar and watched her move. Her back was turned to him. Suddenly, she spun around, her head lowered, and a sie went soaring through the air, hitting the pillar, nearly missing his head.   
  
"I see you're mad at me." He said. Joey slowly looked at him and shut off the music. She went over and pulled the sie out.  
  
"I knew you'd duck." She said dryly.  
  
"Yeah, thank god for my ninja reflexes." He replied. Joey turned away from him and went back to the center of the room. She absentmindedly twirled one of the sies in her right hand.   
  
"Yet, I have a feeling you wish I hadn't." He said.  
  
"Shane, if I wanted to kill you, I would've just shoved the little sie in your gut." She muttered. "Ah, good to know, I think." Shane said. Joey sighed and looked at him. "Any particular reason you crawled into my attic?" She asked. Shane shrugged.  
  
"I wanted to see if you were ok." He replied truthfully. Joey spun around, the sie still clutched dangerously in her hand.  
  
"Why wouldn't I be ok?" She growled. Shane gulped. 'Damned if I do, damned if I don't.' His mind screamed loudly. He shrugged again.  
  
"You just seemed a little tense at Ninja Ops. Do you want to talk about it?" He replied. Joey sighed.  
  
"Again, there is nothing to talk about. I'm fine." She told him. Had Joey not been standing there, Shane would have rolled his eyes, but instead he spoke again.  
  
"Joey, running away doesn't solve anything. you need to confront this head on." He said. Joey looked at him again, and started twirling her sie.  
  
"What makes you think I'm running? Maybe I'm not ready to deal with this yet." She retorted. Angrily. Shane flung his hands into the air.  
  
"Alright, I give up on being blunt with you Joey! I'm worried about you! I wander into your house, to find you practicing with you sies and I can't help but think that maybe."  
  
"Maybe what? I'm practicing to take out dear old dad?" Joey asked with freighted innocence.   
  
"Or that I'm planning on taking myself out?" "I..." "Both options sound pretty tempting." She mused. "No." Shane said.   
  
"Joey, stop. You can't face Lothor alone, and if you even think about hurting yourself, so help me God, I'll-"  
  
"Don't worry, Shane." Joey interrupted him.   
  
"Suicide isn't my thing." Shane could feel a long whoosh of air come out, sighing with relief. Joey smirked. "These are my moms. Holding them...practicing with them, they make me feel connected to her. Help me clear the clutter in my head." "So, you're not going to hunt down Lothor?" Shane asked.   
  
"I won't hunt." She said.   
  
"But that doesn't mean I won't kill him if he tries to come near me." She said. Shane smirked.  
  
"You'd be a very dangerous person to be around if you get a hold of Lothor with those things." He replied. Joey laughed.  
  
"You know, you're probably right." She replied. She twirled the sie. The edge of one of the blades ran into her wrist. "Shit." She gasped as she dropped the sies and held her wrist. Shane went over to her quickly.   
  
"I think I need some more practice." She muttered bitterly, holding her wrist that was bleeding slightly.   
  
"Hold your wrist up." He said, taking her arm and holding it up. He grabbed a towel that was nearby, obviously what Joey was going to use to wipe her sweat, and pressed it against her cut.   
  
"Here, sit down." He said. He gently made her sit on the floor as he wiped at her wrist. "Shane, I'm OK, it's just a scratch." She said.  
  
"You're bleeding." Shane said. "It's a trickle." She replied.   
  
"It's nothing." Shane looked into her eyes. "You're hurt, that's not nothing." He whispered. Joey glanced downward before giving up entirely. She let Shane take over to bandage her wrist. He gently wrapped the towel around her wrist, and down her arm.  
  
"Ok, where's your first aid kit?" he asked. Joey smirked.  
  
"Main bathroom." She replied. Shane nodded and helped Joey to her feet. They carefully made their way down the steps and into the bathroom. Joey plopped herself down on the toilet seat and Shane retrieved the first aid kit from underneath the bathroom sink.  
  
"Why are you so keen on taking care of me?" She asked. "Thought we've been though this one before." He replied. He pulled out the antiseptic spray and shook it a few times before spraying it on her cut. Joey hissed from the sting. Shane blew on the cut slightly, easing the sting. The cool feel of his breath sent chills up and down Joey's spine. She shivered and Shane looked up into her brown eyes. Joey slowly bent forward and brought her lips to Shane's in a heartwarming kiss.  
  
)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))((((((((((((((((((( ((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((  
  
Blake and Tori exited Tori's house, holding hands gently. They climbed into her van and drove towards the costume shop.  
  
"So what idea do you have in mind?" Blake asked. Tori smiled.  
  
"When I was a little girl." She began. Blake groaned.  
  
"This isn't a story that ends and they lived happily ever after does it?" He joked. Tori grinned.  
  
"Let me finish." She scolded. Blake smiled.  
  
"When I was a little girl, my favorite movie, was The Princess Bride. So I was kinda thinking we could go as Buttercup and Wesley from the movie." Tori finished. Blake nodded thoughtfully for a moment.  
  
"Cool." He said.  
  
"Thought you might like it." Tori smiled. Blake looked at her and reached over and took her hand gently. "Anything you suggest, I love." He said. Tori smiled. "So, if I had suggested I dress up as little Bo peep and you as a sheep, you would've loved it." "I take back my former statement." He said. Tori laughed. Tori turned the van into the parking lot of the same costume shop Summer and Hunter had been had a few minutes previous. They both exited the car and walked into the shop.  
  
"I wonder what Summer and Hunter are going as." Tori said out loud as she searched through costumes. Blake shrugged.  
  
"Whatever it is, she'll like it." He replied. Tori smiled as she found the Wesley costume. She tossed it to Blake and began re-searching for the Buttercup one.  
  
"He could have picked out Tarzan and Jane, and she would have liked it." Tori said. Blake nodded thoughtfully for a moment before replying.  
  
"I think they'd modernize it a bit." He replied. Tori grinned mischievously.  
  
"Yeah, Hunter would have to wear the loin cloth, where as Summer would have a very elaborate and beautiful dress on." She replied. Blake burst out laughing.  
  
"Thing is, I can so see it happening." He said between spurts of laughter.  
  
"Eureka." Tori said as she found the desired dress. It was a baby blue colored flowing dress. She pulled it off the rack. Blake turned around and looked at the beautiful dress. With full sleeves, but an open top and back, and the sleeves beginning at the top of the shoulders. It was beautiful.  
  
"Wow." Blake breathed out. Tori looked at him.  
  
"What?" She asked. Blake smiled.  
  
"I just imagined what you'd look like in that." He said. Tori couldn't help blush a bit. She smacked him lightly in the arm.  
  
"Get your mind out of the gutter Blake." She kidded. Blake grinned and planted a kiss on Tori's soft lips.  
  
"Love you too Tor." He replied. Tori giggled.  
  
"I know." She replied softly, as Blake went to pay for the costumes. She ran her hand over her lips and smiled softly.  
  
'I'm so in love.' Her mind told the rest of her body.  
  
))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))(((((((((((((((((((((((((  
  
Shane responded to the kiss full heartedly. Then, he paused, and pushed back gently. "Wait, wait." He said softly. Joey looked at her.   
  
"I.....Can't." He said. Joey blinked. "What?" "I can't do this, not if this is all there's going to be."  
  
"What? You mean sex?" Joey asked angrily. She gave a disgusted sound.   
  
"You pig." "No, I mean, a relationship. I can't get my hopes up, thinking you're finally ready, if you're not. Are you?" He asked. Joey looked down. She wasn't.........She didn't think she ever would be. She cast her glance downward.  
  
"I. I don't know Shane." She admitted. She was scared. Not scared of Shane, as a man, but in general. She didn't know if she could love him, or for that matter anyone. Her shoulders drooped slightly and she sighed.  
  
"I just don't know." She whispered. Shane frowned slightly. He nodded.  
  
"I can accept that Joey." He replied softly. Joey sighed.  
  
"Why are you so understanding?" She asked.   
  
"Why can't you just scream and yell and demand that I give you an answer or you'll never speak to me again?" Shane smiled. "That'd make it too easy for you, wouldn't it?" He asked. Joey laughed.  
  
"Your right, it would make it too easy." Joey replied. Shane nodded again.  
  
"I'm going to leave ok?" He said. Joey nodded.  
  
"Bye Shane." She replied. Shane walked to the stairs in the attic.  
  
"Goodbye Joey." He responded softly as he descended the stairs.  
  
)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))((((((( ((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((  
  
Shane opened the door to Storm Chargers, a few days after his confrontation with Joey, in her attic. Storm Chargers looked completely different. He'd known that Summer, Hunter, Blake and Dustin had been pulling overtime to get everything ready. As he scanned the room, he saw Dustin, who was wearing a Romeo costume, talking with Summer, who was wearing a long and flowing pink dress. He walked across the dance floor and greeted Kelly and Hunter as he passed them. Hunter was dressed in what looked like a Medieval hunter's outfit. Shane almost didn't recognized Kelly for she was decked out in a punk; Goth outfit. Hunter looked at Shane. He was dressed like a Scarecrow.   
  
"Hey." Hunter said.   
  
"No Joey?" He asked. Shane sighed. "No." He said. Summer and Dustin walked over. Summer put her arms around Hunter from behind. Shane looked at Dustin and raised an eyebrow.   
  
"Tights?" He asked with a smirk. "It was my idea." Marah said as she walked over, dressed as Juliet. Shane looked at her.  
  
"Romeo and Juliet I presume?" Shane asked. Both nodded. Shane smiled  
  
"Cool." He turned to Kelly.  
  
"What's with the outfit?" He asked. Kelly shrugged.  
  
"Believe it or not, I had a dream, and I was totally gothic and punkish. weird." She replied. Blake and Tori entered and walked over. Blake was dressed in a navy outfit that resembled a Zorro costume without the cape and Tori wore a baby blue dress. Tori's jaw dropped when she saw Kelly.   
  
"Oh god...Not again." She groaned. Kelly looked at her strangely. "Everything OK, Tori?" She asked. Tori looked at her. She blinked.  
  
"Yeah........I........Uh huh." She said. Kelly nodded and walked away. "What was that all about?" Summer asked. "Long story." Tori sighed. "Anyway, where's Cam and Larissa?" Blake asked.  
  
"Dunno. I stopped by the house to pick up some makeup and Larissa said she was on her way to Ninja Opts." Summer said. "Hopefully they didn't start making out like mad and forget about the party." Marah said. She sighed, remembering catching them in the middle of a make out session a few days ago. Everyone laughed.  
  
"Hey now. no need to be mean about that." Cam scolded the group playfully as he and Larissa joined the group. Larissa wore a white lab coat with a stethoscope around her neck, and Cam wore plain pants, and a sweater. His hair was pulled all out of place, and dyed gray, and there was a pipe hanging from the corner of his mouth,  
  
"Uh. not to sound dumb. but what are you guys?" Tori asked. Cam chuckled.  
  
"Larissa's Madame Currie, and I'm Albert Einstein." Cam replied. The group nodded thoughtfully.  
  
"Nice choice." Blake told the couple.  
  
"I'm rather disappointed in you all. I mean, hello, Cam and I are big intellectuals, and you didn't see this coming?" Larissa teased. The others rolled their eyes.  
  
"Whatever." Summer said. The couples went to dance. As Cam and Larissa passed, Shane grabbed Larissa's arm gently. Larissa looked at him and then back at Cam, telling him she'd be right there. She walked over to Shane. "Did Joey-"  
  
"She's at home, giving cavity causing sweets to already too hyper youngsters." Larissa said. She looked at Shane.   
  
"Don't go there. From what I can gather, Joey needs time alone to think, or just, well, be alone. She does that sometimes."  
  
"Like her excursions to the woods at times." Shane said. Larissa nodded. "Just give her some time." She said. Shane sighed. Larissa placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly. She then went back to Cam.  
  
Shane sighed and looked at all the couples swaying to the beat of the music. His eyes first landed on Tori and Blake. Tori's head was resting gently on Blake shoulder, and her eyes were closed gently, as if she were sleeping. Next, he noticed Dustin and Marah. Dustin gently held Marah close to his body as they moved in time with the music. They looked so innocent together. Shane would never get over Dustin wearing tights. Smiling to himself, he continued along the floor. Summer and Hunter were the next one's he saw. He caught a glimpse of Hunter dipping Summer really low, and almost dropping her, causing her to screech playfully, and then smacked him lightly. Summer proceeded to wrap her arms around Hunter and kiss him on the cheek gently. Shane's eyes landed on Cam and Larissa last. They were such a cute couple. They looked to be doing some sort of half waltz, half tango.  
  
'Cute.' Shane thought.  
  
"Hey." Came a voice. Shane turned to see a light skin girl with short red hair. She was dressed in a short fairy costume that if the hem or neckline were any shorter, she'd be charged with indecent exposure.   
  
"I'm Kathy, wanna dance?" She asked huskily, she practically heaved her chest out to him. Shane looked at her.  
  
"No thanks." He said. The girl pouted. "Are you sure?" She said, batting her eyelashes. "Yes, I'm sure." Shane said. Kathy gave a dissatisfied grunt and walked away.  
  
)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((  
  
Joey finished handing out the candy for the evening to the insane youngsters, who needed more sugar in their system like she needed a hole in her head. She gently shut the door, and placed the bowl onto the kitchen table before going back into the living room and turning the TV on. She flicked through the channels boredly. She glanced at the clock and sighed.  
  
"It's only 9pm. I need to do something." She turned the TV off and wandered upstairs. Her head was filled with thoughts of Shane. She wished she hadn't turned him down for the party. She wished she could tell him how much she loved him. But she couldn't.   
  
"It's not like I have a costume anyway." She muttered to herself. She heard the doorbell ring and went downstairs. She grabbed the bowl and opened the door to see a little girl dressed as a witch.   
  
"Twick or Treat." The girl said. Suddenly, an idea struck Joey. She smiled at the little girl and knelt beside her. "Well, aren't you cute." She said softly.   
  
"Hey, I have an idea, how about we do a little trade? I give you all of this candy, and you give me your hat." Joey said. The girl beamed. She nodded.  
  
"Thwank you!." The child grinned. Joey took the hat, and dumped all the candy into the little girls bag. The child thanked her again, before running down the driveway to her mother and father who were waiting. Joey smiled and shut the door.  
  
"Guess I do have a costume now." She told the empty house, before running upstairs to get ready.  
  
()))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))(((((((((((((((((((((((((((( ((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))))() Shane was trying to think of a polite way to tell Kathy to get loss, she had come back, and wasn't taking no for an answer. "I'm flattered, really, but I'm not interested." Shane said.  
  
"I love guys who play hard to get." Kathy purred. "I'm not playing." Shane insisted. Kathy grinned like a Cheshire cat. "Sure you're not." She got closer to him, giving him full view of her breast. "Hey, Fairy God Whore, back off." Came a voice. Kathy turned. Shane saw Joey standing there. She was dressed in a black dressed that hugged her every curve with long sleeves that had a hoop at the end that she wore on her middle fingers. She had a witch's hat on her head and wore green eye shadow, and a line of green make up on her cheeks, she had black lipstick on. Kathy glared at her.  
  
"I saw him first, bitch." Kathy said. Joey crossed her arms over her chest. "He's taken. Now, go find yourself some desperate loser and get out of my sight, before I really get pissed." Joey threatened. Kathy blinked. "Sor-rey, didn't know he was claimed." Kathy said as she left. Shane looked at Joey.  
  
"Am I?" He asked. Joey looked at him. "Dance with me?" She asked softly as a slow song came on. Joey took Shane's hand and led him out onto the dance floor. She gently wrapped her arms around his neck, and his hands, fit perfectly around her waist. They gently began to sway in time with the song.  
  
"All I know Is everything is not as it's sold But the more I grow the less I know And I have lived so many lives Though I'm not old And the more I see, the less I grow The fewer the seeds the more I sow."  
  
Joey gently closed her eyes and leaned against Shane's warm body. She sighed gently, content to be in his arms.  
  
"Then I see you standing there Wanting more from me And all I can do is try Then I see you standing there Wanting more from me And all I can do is try  
  
I wish I hadn't seen all of the realness And all the real people are really not real at all The more I learn the more I cry As I say goodbye to the way of life I thought I had designed for me."  
  
Shane pulled away from Joey and looked into her eyes. Joey looked back into his, straight into his soul.  
  
"Then I see you standing there Wanting more from me And all I can do is try Then I see you standing there I'm all I'll ever be But all I can do is try Try"  
  
"What made you change your mind about coming?" He asked. "You. I had to see you, had to talk to you." She said softly. Shane blinked. "Why?" He asked. "I thought you said you couldn't do this. You were scared." He said.   
  
"I don't want you doing anything you're not ready for."  
  
"I decided I didn't want to be scared anymore. And I realized, I'm more scared of being without you, of knowing that I pushed you away." She said softly. Shane looked at her. He lifted one of his hands and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.  
  
"You'd never get rid of me, no matter how hard you push." He said softly.   
  
"I love you, Shane." Joey said, tears came to her eyes. She felt so vulnerable at that moment. Being vulnerable scared her, but she couldn't be without Shane. Shane wiped her cheeks.  
  
"I love you. Too." He said. Shane leaned in towards Joey and softly pressed his lips against hers, in a heartwarming, loving kiss, which Joey returned fully.  
  
"All of the moments that already passed We'll try to go back and make them last All of the things we want each other to be We never will be And that's wonderful, and that's life And that's you, baby This is me, baby And we are, we are, we are, we are Free In our love We are free in our love."  
  
Summer glanced over in Joey and Shane's general direction after the song finished and she smiled.  
  
"Well it's about damn time." She muttered to herself. Hunter overheard her and grinned. He kissed the crown of her head.  
  
"I agree." He replied.  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
Becky- Hey guys...Well, what a long journey this has been. I know, it's depressing seeing it end... But don't worry, there's going to be more I can say for both myself and Teal that we hope you guys enjoyed reading this as much as we enjoyed writing it. And you know the best way to show us how much you enjoyed it, which would prompt us to write the 1st chapter of the next story faster? REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW! That's right, we're holding the 1st chapter hostage, and the ransom is reviews! *Evil laughter...cough, cough, hack, hack, choke*  
  
Teal- every good story must come to an end. And what an end for the first book, in our series. I've had a blast and a half creating Summer, Joey and Larissa. They are three of my favorite characters. As Becky said, I really hope you guys enjoyed reading this, as much as we enjoyed writing it. So stay turned during the Christmas holidays, because we'll be posting the second book in the series then, so until then,  
  
Toodles!  
  
Becky & Teal 


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